Power of The Serpentine Eyes
by Anigma24
Summary: It's the beginning of the summer before sixth year. Harry has started to look beyond the masks of both foes and friends. But can he except whatever truth is revealed to him or will secrets from the past seal his fate? In order to deal with his future Harr
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** It's the beginning of the summer before sixth year. Harry has started to look beyond the masks of both foes and friends. But can he except what truth is revealed to him or will secrets from the past seal his fate? In order too deal with his future Harry sets off on an adventure to explore his past. This leads to a new Harry that no one could have predicted. Friends and foes alike will notice the change in the Boy-Who-Lived but who will stand with him in the end.

**Spoilers:** Books 1-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot. So don't sue me. All Harry Potter™ characters and settings are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Power of the Serpentine Eyes**

**Chapter One - Mind Cage**

It had only been 24 hours since the incident at the Department of Mystery as Harry Potter made his way down the empty corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at 6 o'clock in the morning. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were still recovering in the Hospital wing from their injuries. Other than him, Luna was the only one that had not been injured during the battle. Harry still felt numb by all that had happened that dreadful night.

He hadn't told anyone what had really happened to him when Voldemort had tried to possess him and he was dreading the reaction of the truth when it would finally come to light, hopefully he could hold off on telling anyone for a while. It was still all too fresh in his mind, Harry knew he would have to come to terms with it himself first before he was able to share his thoughts with the others. It was not like any of his friends could possible understand the situation he now found himself in anyway. Somehow when Voldemort possessed him he had managed to break into the Dark Lords mind by means of the link that connected their minds, which allowed him to gain all of Riddle's knowledge and memories. All in a matter of minutes; if that long.

_**- Flash Back -**_

Sure it was over, sure Voldemort had decided to flee, Harry made to run out from behind his statue guard, but Dumbledore bellowed,

" Stay where you are, Harry! "

For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. Harry could not see why. The hall was quite empty but for themselves, the sobbing Bellatrix still trapped under her statue, and the tiny baby Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor-

And then Harry's scar burst open. He knew he was dead: it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance-

He was gone from the hall, he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know where his body ended and the creatures began. They were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape-

And when the creature spoke, it used Harry's mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move...

" Kill me now, Dumbledore..."

Blinded and dying, every part of him screaming for release, Harry felt the creature use him again...

_" If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy..."_

_Let the pain stop,_ thought Harry. _Let him kill us... End it, Dumbledore... Death is nothing compared to this..._

_And I'll see Sirius again..._

And as Harry's heart filled with emotion, he could feel the creature's coils loosen somewhat. He gathered all of the feelings inside of him and pushed it towards the creature. The coils loosened completely and the pain stopped. But Harry barely noticed. He kept pushing. He took every feeling, every emotion he had and pushed as hard as he could. A creature that was bigger and more powerful than the one that had just tortured him was born from the effort. Fiery green eyes blazed as the creature lashed out at its enemy, Harry felt himself leaving his body...

Harry and the creature born from his emotions were one, its presence felt very familiar somehow, almost like a forgotten friend now reunited. He could hear an unearthly, blood-curdling scream as he pushed through a barrier of some kind. The scream of someone suffering in hellish agony. The same sort of agony those moments before had been consuming him.

Then he entered someplace else. Somewhere new. Harry soon realized where he was. He recognized the feel of it, somehow. It was the void between his mind and Voldemort's. At one end of the void was a massive blackish gray cancer like ball, patches of a sickening dark yellow and blood red roots of energy ran rampant all over it.

On his side of the void was a large cage in the shape of an egg, its bars made of a bright, yellow light, while thin green vines of some kind weaved its way around and into each bar. Inside the cage was a large thick cotton white cloud with multi-color swirls of light dance across its surface. With a jolt, Harry's senses recognized that the caged cloud was his own mind; somehow it had been trapped inside a cage here. He reached out with his creatures senses, trying to reach through the barrier, he recoiled instantly when the green vines tried to ensnare him when he touched the cage; the vines burned with a disguised malice, radiating a powerful, sickening hatred that made Harry disparate to fine a way to free his mind from its clutches.

Looking closely Harry noticed the bars of light had fine cracked lines running through them, which allowed the vines to feed its own power to the cage directly, making the bars themselves more fragile against attacks. He braced himself and attacked the bars repeatedly, making sure his attacks were to quick for the vines to catch hold of him. Each strike made the void around him roll and twist. Harry attacked harder, causing larger cracks formed in the bars that were caging his consciousness that connected him to the real world. And he could feel... something... it was a vaguely familiar sensation, a slight throbbing. Then it clicked when he noticed the vines seemed to join together at the bottom of the cage, forming a rather thick jagged cored. It was the same throbbing sensation he got in his scar right before a vision- a sort of agitated pain, not agonizingly painful, but by no means pleasant either. As he continued to assault the cage the cracks he aimed for grew larger and more defined, the cage seemed to tremble under the righteous fury that was fueled at the thought of any part of himself being imprisoned against his will or knowledge. The throbbing grew in its intensity with each and every strike making his whole being throb in time with it.

Becoming frustrated Harry extending his senses once again, he was able to pick up the source of the cages main power, its was the thick bright green cored the vines grew from. Running energy to his mind's prison. Feeding it power. The cored reached all the way across the void to the blackish cancer. It was the remains of the once failed Arvada Kedvara he realized, it was the link that bonded him to Voldemort. The link reeked with an ancient darkness. So much that it almost completely overwhelmed him. But without hesitation Harry attacked it, trying to sever its connection. Later, Harry would realize he really needed to reign in his impulsive behavior, because as soon as he attacked it the void seemed to churn and writher as if in agony. The throbbing only escalated in its tempo. Darkness, death, and a hellish malice composed the cores existence that for some reason seemed to blend with a devoted love and fearsome protectiveness of which he couldn't even begin to understand.

Harry ignored the throbbing, ignored the darkness that he now found himself in; he concentrated solely on destroying his link to the Dark Lord. He pushed his mind, his magic, and his soul against the link. With only one sole propose in mind, Harry did not realize the scream of agony becoming louder as he pushed harder.

Harry was suddenly blind-sided as a horde of foreign feelings and emotions came to him. Smells, tastes, sounds, and textures. Things he had never felt or experienced before. So much that it nearly blinded him.

A rush of feelings and emotions came with it, becoming implanted into his mind. He saw a young Tom Riddle meeting Professor Dumbledore for the first time, thinking he was a doctor from the mental asylum that had been summed to try and take him away.

He saw a young Tom Riddle as he put on the Sorting Hat, and take his place in Slytherin. He saw Riddle as he discovered his heritage. Spending almost all his time in the library in his quest for knowledge and power.

Being beaten up by the upper class men students in Slytherin for being a half-blood. learning, becoming stronger.

Humiliation. Determination.

Riddle begging to stay at the school. Headmaster Dippet refusing, not even paying attention to the young Slytherin. He confided in his Head of House, nothing. Dumbledore nothing. All the teachers he asked, and nobody would even listen. Nobody cared.

Anger. Despair.

Dark secrets uncover. He saw Riddle as he drowned himself in the Dark Arts. Learning the unforgivable and kill his father and his family with malicious satisfaction. Voldemort was born that night.

Betrayal. Rage. Satisfaction.

His whole life and experiences. Dreams, desires, like, dislikes, pet peeves and deepest secrets; everything Tom Riddle was and is, was transferring to Harry. He tried to push it away but it was coming at him to fast, too strong for him to stop. No matter what he did the memories just kept coming.

Spells. Potions. Simple ones at first. Matches to needles. Banishing and Summoning Spells. Calming Draft. Then more complex ones.

Patronus Charm, Strengthening Solution, the Wolfs bane Potion, Transfiguration. Every magical lesson from Hogwarts. All of it mixed in with knowledge he found outside of Hogwarts curriculum.

The Chamber of Secrets. A hidden library? Darker Spells.

The memories kept coming. More information then he could possibly imagine. Human Transfiguration, Advanced Charms, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Magical Creatures. Polyjuice Potion, the Draught of the Living Dead, Veritascrum. Subjects he had never studied before. Spells, Potions, and Ritual Instructions that would never be found in the library of Hogwarts.

He learned the Unforgivable in an instant. He learned hundreds of charms, hexes, jinxes, and curses. All in the blink of an eye. He learned advance forms of the Dark and Black Magic. Legilimency and Occlumency. Ancient spells long forgotten by most wizards. Things that only Voldemort knew.

There seemed to be a general theme Harry noticed. Anger. Hatred. Bitterness. Determination.

He learned how to make portkeys, how to apparate, how to duel, how to kill. The basics of Alchemy, Healing Magic, Warding Magic. Poisons and Antidotes. Languages he had never heard of, much less spoken. He knew all that Voldemort had learned throughout his life.

Much to Harry's horror the memories of the first war flowed into him from all sides. Torture, murder, rape. Whether it be men, women, or children. Muggle or Magical. It didn't matter. Voldemort's malicious glee at the destruction and mayhem he and his Death Eaters caused. The fear and despair that blanketed the wizarding world gave the man a kind of twisted pleasure that was hard to describe. The amount of powerfully sadistic arousal Voldemort got from hearing and causing pain to those he considered enemies and allies alike was revolting too the extreme. It sickened Harry to his very soul at what that monster took pleasure in.

The names and faces of all the Death Eaters along with the names and faces of their allies and their victims. Meeting places and strong holds were now known to the young Gryffindor. And the foreign memories continued to flow. Harry's anger and fury rouse to new highest that he never knew he was capable of feeling at the full scope knowledge of Voldemort's sadistic nature.

A spark ignited from within his soul that burned brighter than any sun, a purplish-silver flame burst from his soul. It raced down the green link like a bolt of lighting, the throbbing sensation matching its speed. When the flame finally reached the black cancerous (I have no idea if that's a real word) mass at the other end of the void the unearthly scream raised to a deafening pitch. The void that surrounded him seemed to gather into itself tightly before exploding outwards destroying the link in its wake. The fiery cage also started to break apart but not completely falling away.

Voldemort's screams of agony faded and Harry felt himself being pushed out of the void. He felt himself returning to his own body. It was over. He alone had won.

Harry found himself lying face down on the floor, his glasses gone, shivering as though he lay upon ice, not wood...

_**- Flash Back Ends -**_

He hadn't told the Headmaster what happened when Voldemort tried possessing him, and he wasn't going too. While the Hogwarts Headmaster was giving his_ " old men are stupid" speech_ to Harry in his office yesterday morningHarry noticed that the creatures heighten senses were still with him, they felt a light fog trying to encase his mind but it was unable to do so fully because the cage surrounding his mind was heavily damaged and falling apart.

Harry than became aware of a faint ghost-like whisper coming from the fog, trying to persuade his mind to do what the fog wanted. At first Harry feared it was Voldemort trying to control him again. But as he continued to rant and rave at Dumbledore the fog tried to grow stronger, commanding him to submit to what the Headmaster was telling him. In the beginning Harry fought against the fog, resisting the command like he had always resisted the Imperius Curse. That is until his heighten senses felt a light presence in his mind, Harry was more than a little shocked and confused when he realized that the presence wasn't Voldemort, but Dumbledore and the old man was trying to strengthen the fog by lending power to the cage.

Harry quickly realized that Dumbledore controlled the fog than he was the one who controlled the mind cage. He stopped fighting instantly, pretending to follow the fogs commands. He didn't want the old man to discover the mind cage was basically destroyed. Harry knew there would be no way in hell he could even hope to stop Dumbledore from rebuilding the mind cage and the link to Voldemort's mind if the manipulative coot discovered it broken. He was already trapped inside the office because of this man; he wasn't going to risk getting his mind trapped again too. So Harry did the only thing he could do to save himself, he submitted, playing along with the fogs commands, careful to only show anger when it was truly needed. After confirming that the prophecy said it was either him or Voldemort to the death, he sat quietly in stunned silent for a minute or two to help give the impression of shock (which he didn't really have to fake all that much), while the Headmaster shed his crocodile tears over what was to be his destiny. Harry then simply asked to return to his dorm room, which the Headmaster allowed.

As he left the Headmasters office the fog lifted completely along with Dumbledore's mental presence. What the old wizard had done was worst than possession. At least when he was possessed he knew someone else was controlling his actions. Dumbledore had no right. Harry had felt more violated and betrayed in that moment than Voldemort's earlier possession could have ever hoped to accomplish. He felt dirty from the touch of the Headmasters mind. Voldemort was an evil, cruel, manipulative bastard but at least he was up front about it. He did not hide behind kind words, twinkling eyes, and a grandfather's smile.

_' If I could have, I would have ripped him apart with my bare hands... He cared about me to much indeed... who the hell was he trying fool with all that crap anyway,' Harry_ thought bitterly. As he traveled down the more obscure passageways that most students never bothered to find or take, Harry gave a small snort at the memory of him raging and screaming a storm at the old wizard for locking him away at Privet Drive last summer. _' I should have added the previous ten years and four summers prior onto that accusation.'_

Harry didn't believe for one moment that Dumbledore had told him the truth about everything when he was in his office yesterday morning. The manipulative Headmaster had only told him enough to pacify his anger for the moment. Harry now understood that he couldn't trust anyone to tell him the truth about what he needed to know, or wanted to know for that matter. The past year had proven that, and the events with Dumbledore in his office had firmly stamped out any other notions.

It wasn't fair, but when has his life ever been remotely fair, he reasoned with himself. He had grown up knowing he wasn't wanted or loved. For the first ten years of his life he had no other choice but to live with his muggle relative, made to sleep in a cupboard (with only trash and spiders for company), only given meager meals (which he was denied even that more often then not), made to do the majority of the house chores (which was forced salve labor). So it came as no surprise that the Dursleys had lied about what he was and what had really happened to his parents. They had never hidden the fact that they hated him and his parents. So lying about who and what they really were was to be expected.

Foolishly he had hoped that the wizarding world would be different, he thought he had finally found his place in the world and too an extent he had placed his trust in his magical saviors. His salivation was short lived however, it had quickly become apparent that wizards were just as human as muggles and they too wore false faces that hid their true selves and motives. It really shouldn't have come as that great of a surprise when Albus Dumbledore unwittingly revealed what hid behind the false face he showed to the world. But even this past year Harry hadn't seen the extent to what Dumbledore's mask concealed.

He was seeing all too clearly now though.

His jaw tightened as he tried to contain the rising betrayal. Dumbledore had been the first parental figure he had ever trusted; Merlin knows Vernon and Petunia never deserve that courtesy. This was the person who always served as his guide in the magical world when he was younger. He might not trust him anymore but he still respected him on some level. How could he so easily violate him in such a way? He had relied heavily on those closest to him, those he thought he could trust to actually tell him about his families history or the workings of the wizarding world it's self, and for the last five years it was getting him nowhere.

Harry had started to question what had really saved him that night. He had stopped believing the prefect little fairy tale about his mother's love alone saving him that Halloween night. He somehow knew there was more at play then some damn prophecy and a mother's love that stopped Voldemort's killing curse. Harry admitted that at the time it was the perfect fairy tale story that any orphaned child would have loved to hear in regards to the love they could not remember from long died parents carrying for them. The only problem was that Harry had never truly thought of himself as a child, and since he had lived with the Dursleys since the age of one, was never allowed to believe in fairy tales either.

In truth his mother's love being the only factor that saved him from the Killing Curse didn't even make any sense at all. From what he had learned about the first war his mother obviously wasn't the first too die trying to protect their children from being killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Surely there were many other parents that loved their children just as much as his mother and father loved him. So the power of love couldn't be the only one. And he was determined to find out what the other factors were. Harry knew part of the key laid within the memories he had gained from Voldemort, the only problem was shifting through over 70 years worth of foreign memories, emotions, and knowledge wasn't exactly an easy task.

Harry understood that for the most part he would have to get through this and Sirius' death alone. He would mourn, as he had mourned the few hours after he had spent the morning trapped in Dumbledore's office, however he would not let his godfathers death drag him down into despair. Sirius had died with honor in a blaze of glory, and it would only dishonor him to fall into a deep depression. And Harry was certain Sirius wanted him to go on and kick some death eater ass for him. Neither would he blame himself for Sirius' death, he had just spent the past year feeling sorry for himself, he had never wanted Sirius to be harmed. It wasn't his fault for being fooled by Voldemort.

No, there were far better people to blame for what happened then him. Snape... if it weren't for that greasy evil spiteful bastard need to settle old scores he would never have quit learning occulmency, Kreacher... that traitorous house-elf had lied to him about Sirius being captured, Bellatrix... that sadistic bitch had been the one to push his godfather through the veil, and Dumbledore... that manipulating bastard had been lying to him from the moment he met him, controlling his mind with that evil cage. Each one would suffer his revenge in do time, but for now he would not dwell on those who had caused him to lose so much. No, he had much more important things to do at the moment.

Harry soon came to his destination, a cove located on the first floor near the back staircase. Checking the Marauders Map to make sure no one was coming his way or following him, he stepped into the dark cove, removing his invisibility cloak. He had already removed the tracking charm he had found on it before he left his dorm room. He figured Dumbledore would be watching him closely after telling him the prophecy and he was right in this case.

_" Open," He_ hissed quietly in Parseltongue while looking at a small carved snake. Finding it less of a hassle than the last time.

The back wall of the cove slide aside reviling a small circular room, inside was a slightly raised circular platform that had many odd shaped symbol all over it surface. Harry knew from some of Riddle's memories that it was a teleport pad the young Slytherin had used in order to travel down to the Chamber of Secrets without having to slid through the piping every time. Stepping onto the pad Harry hissed the word _"Chamber'_" and in an insist disappeared from the cove.

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_**Please Review!**_

_**Next Chapter: Breaking Free**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** It's the beginning of the summer before sixth year. Harry has started to look beyond the masks of both foes and friends. But can he except what truth is revealed to him or will secrets from the past seal his fate? In order too deal with his future Harry sets off on an adventure to explore his past. This leads to a new Harry that no one could have predicted. Friends and foes alike will notice the change in the Boy-Who-Lived but who will stand with him in the end.

**Spoilers:** Books 1-6. **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot. So don't sue me. All Harry Potter™ characters and settings are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Power of the Serpentine Eyes**

**Chapter Two - Breaking Free**

He materialized a moment later standing directly in front of the Chambers main door in which the interwoven serpents were carved. Harry hissed softly for them to open. Springing to life at his command, they revealed the dark chamber within.

"Lumos," Harry hissed loudly, unseen torches on the walls burst into flames, filling the large chamber with green light. The rotten smell of decay assaulted his nose. A rush of memories came back to him as he walked down the long rows of life like snake statues. Memories that were both Riddle's and his own. Towering stone pillars rose to support the high arched ceiling, all of them adorned with carved snakes.

The dark chamber was just as Harry remembered it only it now seemed less evil somehow it even looked smaller. Either because it no longer held as much fear for him, or because he had grown, Harry didn't know. Even the size of the Basilisk wasn't the same. Although, he had to admit the now dead snake was still bloody huge!

Since it had only been a few years since it's death, the Basilisk had only decayed slightly. Harry figured the cold dark chamber helped to preserve the snake's carcass. He would need to salvage it, as some of the parts were necessary for a couple of potions he planned to make. Harry knew Basilisk ingredients were dead expensive, especially the poison that still remained in the glands of the beast along with its fangs that were still perfectly intact, well, all but one that lay broke on the floor from the meal that got away. As he looked over the 70 foot long beast Harry give a violent shutter at the memory of his twelve year old self fighting for his life against it, unconsciously Harry rubbed the part of his arm were the basilisk had bitten him. He could still remember how the venom felt when it coursed through his veins, slow bring his death.

Drawing level with the last pair of pillars his eyes soon fall on the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin looking just as regal and powerful as ever. Even after a thousand or more years after the statue was made. Carved into the last stone pillar was an Indian King Cobra, poised to strike. He hissed at the snake softly, its emerald eyes quickly came to life. The wall behind the pillar slides open, revealing a stone passageway and staircase. It was just as he had seen in Tom Riddle's memories.

The staircase led to a large octagon shape office done in black stone marble and a deep emerald green wood. A large desk of craved ebony wood and black leather high back chair set in center of the office, laid heavily with thick layers of dust. Four of the walls held selves of books, scrolls, and journals. They too were covered in almost a century worth of dust. He hissed once more and eight unseen torches blazed to life.

Harry had only one reason for seeking this place out; it contained the personal library of Salazar Slytherin. He knew in order for him to successfully remove the rest of Dumbledore's cage from his mind he would need to seek out the dark arts. Nothing in the Restricted Section of Hogwarts library could possibly help him, he had no wish for Dumbledore to find out what he was researching and why.

Mental Shielding Wards were a every obscure breach of magic, they were very difficult to learn and perform, the ministry had classified them as a dark art centuries ago, so not many could ever hope to find a complete or detailed book on them. It had taken nearly three hours but Harry was able to find some understanding of the mind cage from the knowledge he had gained from Voldemort. Harry now knew for a fact that it was indeed a mental ward that he was dealing with and only the books in this office could possibly help him.

Each book, scroll, journal, and tome in this room held a wealth of forgotten knowledge on even the most obscure of magical art forms. Casting cleaning charms as he went around the selves, looking for the books on warding magic he noticed that most of the books were written by some of the most renowned witches and wizards in history. After about twenty minutes of searching Harry found the books he was looking for. Taking the books he had picked out over to the large desk, after casting a couple more cleaning charms, Harry made himself comfortable and began to read the first book it's small pale title reading; _The Warding World by S. L. Gentry_. After about a hour an half of reading he was elated when he finally found a spell that would reveal any type of magical blocks, seals, concealers, and wards that had ever been cast on ones person, along with who cast it and when.

After studying how to cast the spell and practicing the need wand movements Harry cast the rather difficult spell on himself. A blue light spilled out of his wand, a strong ripple of magical energy washed over him making his body tingle and then it seemed to push itself out of the tip of his hand which caused a roll of parchment to come out the tip of his wand. With a great deal of anxiety Harry unrolled the parchment and read the results.

**NAME**: Harrison James Orion Black-Potter

**Magical Ranking:** Unknown

**Date:** October 31, 1980

**Caster(s):** Lillian M. Potter, James W. Potter, Sirius O. Black

**Spell(s):** _Algiz Sanctuary Ward-_ Magical Core Block; Druid Based, _Obscurus Enchantment-_ Concealer

**Date:** July 31, 1981

**Caster(s):** Lillian M. Potter, James W. Potter, Sirius O. Black

**Spell(s):** _Othila Hagalaz-_ Protection of Spirit Ward; Druid Runic Blood Based

**Date:** November 9, 1981

**Caster(s):** Albus Dumbledore

**Spell(s):** _Claustrum Captivus Ward-_ Mental Control / Dullness Ward; Dark Arts Based,

_Compos Imperius Curse-_ Mental Controlling Ward; Dark Arts Based,

_Excido Charm-_ Memory Block; Dark Arts Based

**Date:** May 24, 1992

**Caster(s):** Albus Dumbledore

**Spell(s):** _ Claudmus Seals- _Magical Abilities Seal, _Excido Charm-_ Memory Block

The results of the revealing spell cleared up a lot of questions Harry had about his magical abilities, it also caused to raise more questions than it answered. He had long ago been puzzled by his variance in magical aptitude over the past two years. It seemed more than a little odd that he could cast a corporeal Patronus at thirteen that had enough power to chase over two hundred Dementors away with only a couple of weeks worth of practice, when witches and wizards twice his age and power level couldn't even manage to produce a couple whiffs of smoke. And yet it had taken the threat of being roasted alive by a dragon for him to learn a simple summoning charm, not only that, but then only a couple of months later he was able to best Voldemort, of all people, in a duel when their wands connected in the graveyard.

While not common, blocks that were placed on young children were not exactly unheard of. The strength of the one that was placed on him was very rare, from what the book said an Algiz Sanctuary Ward was only to be placed on the most powerful of children. Those born with abnormally high magic levels, young infants are unable to control the high levels, and could wandlessly release the power through strong emotions. The outbursts can cause harm to a young child, possibly resulting in lasting damage to both their mind and magic. Once cast the ward was locked in place making it virtually impossible to remove until a ten-year time span had passed.

Harry was not bothered by the fact his parents and godfather had placed a block on his magic but was a little puzzled to why they had gone through so much trouble to hide it. With the original casters of the ward being all dead, the block needed something called a Clarui Cludo potion in order to cancel it, which Harry decided to look up how to make later. He was not able to find that much in formation on the protection ward his parents and godfather had cast on him except that they were very strong and were used to protect his soul in some way. Though he was able to find plenty of information on the dark spells Dumbledore had cast, and what he read about the Claustrum Caplivus Ward caused all the color to drain from his face.

_The Claustrum Caplivus Ward is one of darkest and most powerful mental containing spells documented throughout wizarding history. During the year of 2645 BCE, a Dark Druid WarLord named Keegan the Cruel, created the spell in order to control his more powerful and untrustworthy warriors so they would stay loyal to him and would never think or try to over throw his power. This ward is elemental in nature; it erects a cage of lighting like fire around the victims mind, causing a mental dullness of intelligence for easier influence over the victim's consciousness. Strength of the ward will vary depending_ _on the strength of the casters magical power and desire to enslave. After casting the ward it is highly recommend to also cast a Compos Imperius Curse on the wards bars too insure the victim can follow pacific commends._ _This ward is_ _almost always a permanent enslavement, and as such, it was out lawed by the Wizarding Conceal in 502 BCE. As a result, the Claustrum Captivus wards were administered only to the extremely dangerous and violent criminals whose magical core had been too badly contaminated by dark magic, or to those who are mentally insane and prone to Discrucio Stigmata. The wards must continually be feed magical energy to remain active so it is usually bonded to the victim's own magical core. This bond cannot happen if the victim's magical core is to be block for any reason. The only known way for a victim to over come a Claustrum Captivus that is placed on them, other than having the caster cancel the spell, is for a powerful witch or wizard to focus the power of their mind, magic, and soul at the same time during a powerful magical surge. This will enable the victim enough power and control to sever the link that connects the 'mind cage' to the victim's magical core. Another way for a victim to over come this ward is to create a Castus Sol frame within their soul while focusing their mind and burning away the elemental 'mind cage', which, if done correctly will cancel each other out. Warning: Both processes are highly dangerous, and WILL cause intense pain if done incorrectly. It may cause one or more of the following side effects if done wrong. Blindness, Insanity, Deafness, Neurosis, Magic Loss, or in extreme cases Death._

By the time Harry finished reading the passage his body had stared to shake uncontrollably, his mind spinning as cold cruel realization of what Dumbledore had done to him started to set in. For nearly fifteen years he had been nothing more than an obedient mindless puppet dancing to whatever tune the Headmaster had chosen to play. How many of his choices had been his own and how many had been of Dumbledore's making. The man had knowingly cast two extremely dark and powerful spells on his mind, imprisoning it in his infancy, the bastard had even rounded it off with a more discreet variation of an Unforgivable. The unwanted memory of Barty Crouch Jr. came forcefully to mind.

Waves upon waves of nausea engulfed Harry. His parents had successfully blocked his magical core from manipulation and because of the time lock of the Algiz Sanctuary Ward; Dumbledore had been unable to remove the block, for which Harry was grateful. But the back stabbing bastard had cast the Claustrum Captivus ward anyway, using the last remains of the failed Avada Kedavra that flowed between the Dark Lord and himself to flue the power needed for the mind cage, effectively linking his mind to that of the Dark Lords.

He staggered backwards away from the table. Before he could even think of trying to stop it, Harry fell to his hands and knees vomiting all over the floor, his stomach twisted painfully as the full scope of Dumbledore's betrayal hit him hard.

At first, Harry tried desperately to ward off the unwelcome tide of emotion that now threatened to shallow him whole. He had balled his shaking hands into tight fists, clenched his teeth together, and screwed his eyes shut, determined to hold everything in, desperately trying to stop the howl of misery and betrayal that now overwhelmed him. Reading that book had been the most painful heart retching thing he had ever experienced in his life. Spotlighting, in his mind just how completely fucked up his life really was.

Passed events and recent event consumed him; everything seemed to catch up with him all at once. It hadn't seemed to matter if it was a life-defining moment, or something childishly trivial. A seemingly endless parade of memories flashed crazily through his brain. Voldemort, the Dementors in third year, Petunia's favoritism, Snape's hateful scorn, his childhood nightmares of green light, Remus' scolding about the map, his loveless childhood, Cedric, Ron's jealous, Sirius' death, his entire second year, his cupboard, Pettigrew's betrayal, losing all those house points in first year, those stupid 'Potter Stinks' badges the Slytherin's had made, Minister Fudge, Bellatrix, Prof. McGonagall taking points away from him for standing up to Umibridge, Cho, Occlumency lessons with Snape, detention with Umibridge, his recent possession, Hermione's and Ron's injuries, Dumbledore's betrayal...

It had all finally become too much. All his outrage, anger, hatred, frustration, fear, resentment and pain boiled over, and he had absolutely no chance of holding it all in. The howl of misery he'd barely managed to stifle, as Remus Lupin held him back in DoM right after Sirius fell through the veil finally broke free. Drawing his knees tightly against his chest Harry had suddenly found himself in the middle of a here-to-fore unprecedented, wailing, sobbing, screaming, raving, ranting, fist-pounding, teeth-gnashing, I'm-a-nice-guy-what-did-I-ever-do-to-deserve-this, no holds bar outburst that made any tantrum thrown by his cousin Dudley look like they were done by a pathetic amateur.

It seemed like it had taken hours to work everything out of his system, unable to even consider stopping until all the years of pint-up and suppressed sorrow and pain was completely exorcised. His sadness and grief quickly turned to righteous fury and furious hatred. Harry's infamous temper rising to heights he hadn't even known existed.

For the first time in Harry Potter's life he truly wanted to kill someone. To kill them as slowly and painfully as possible, to revel in their agony, to hear them beg for his mercy, only to grant them no such quarter. The creature that had awoken inside him at the ministry reared up once again as his rage continued to escalate, yearning to rip those who had hurt him into shreds.

Harry was filled with so much rage and inconsolable hated at that moment; he knew without a doubt in his mind he would be able to cast both the Killing Curse and the Cruciatus Curse correctly now. Hate coursed through his very blood, hate and the want to cause pain. Pain to all those who had wronged him, too those that had made him suffer. Would that still be considered righteous anger though? That was what Lestrange said was the reason why he couldn't cast the Cruciatus Curse correctly. His lips curled into a snarl, he promised himself right then that he would avenge his godfather's death. That insane bitch would pay for what she had done. Along with Pettigrew, Snape, Voldemort, and Dumbledore. And in Harry's mind Dumbledore's treachery was even worse than the others.

Peter Pettigrew. Had once been one of his fathers best friends, but sold his parents out to Voldemort out of selfish fear and cowardice, he was nothing more than a sniveling rat. Severus Snape. The man hates him. And in turn, Harry hated him with equal, if not more venom. The potions master was just a pathetic little man, who was forever trapped in the past. The man raped his mind using legilimency and took a delight doing it. If he died, Harry would dance on his grave. Voldemort was an evil sociopath, period. Albus Dumbledore however had no excuse. He had become the number 1 person on Harry's people-to-hate list, even beating Voldemort to the 2nd place. The old coot had sent him to suffer under the Dursley's **_'loving care'_**, knowing full well what they were like. He manipulated him from the start to be his weapon against Voldemort. The man lied to him many times using half-truths and a grandfatherly kindness facade. The man was worst than Voldemort. Even if Harry hated the Dark Lord at least he could sympathize with how he turned out that way. Just like him the man was being abused in the orphanage. And then the old coot always sent him back there every summer just like he had done to Harry. Dumbledore had tried to control Tom Riddle just like he had tried to control Harry. It was no wonder that he ended up becoming a Dark Lord. The more he thought on it, the more he realized that it was Dumbledore who created the monster called Voldemort. The thought that Dumbledore had basically crafted his life to be the mirror image of Riddle's sent his already enraged temper up another three notches.

Harry's current state of emotion demanded that these feelings be acted upon. His magic rising to the task sparks of magic cracked through the air filling the room with the thick smell of ozone. The torches around the room burned brighter, their flames reaching up to four feet high. His magical release maded Hogwarts castle tremble down to its very foundation. But the party responsible was a little past caring. Harry eyes shone so brightly it looked as if they could light a dark room bright as day all by themselves. Another howl erupted from deep within his soul, his voice not even sounding remotely human anymore. Inside his mind-eye the purplish-silver flame erupted once more. Harry focused on the fragments of the mind cage that remained; those pieces that represented fifteen years of the Headmasters enslavement were burned away completely. The oppressive weight of the ward lifted from his mind at last, leaving him feeling a little light headed.

Harry got to his feet shakily; his breathing coming in haggardly his magical out burst had left him feeling drained of both his magic and his anger. He was exhausted. He staggered sleepily over to the large wooden desk, claimed on top, is if it were a bed and pass out completely.

When Harry had regained consciousness it had taken him a minute or two to figure out why he was laying on top a table in a strange office. Straightening up slowly, Harry tried to gather his bearings; letting his mind recall the last thing he could remember doing. Eminently, his earlier outburst and the cause for it, rushed to the forefront of his mind. His anger over the situation was still there but it wasn't as overwhelming as it had been before. It was more manageable now. Though if what he had just experienced was "having a good cry," then his female housemates were welcome to it. He hated being so out of control of his own emotions. A body might feel better when it was all over, but the process, and the utter loss of control left something to be desired.

Getting off the table to stretch his legs some, Harry noticed just how stiff and achy his muscle and joints were. He wondered if it had something to do with all the magic he had released earlier. Pushing that thought aside for the moment he began pacing back and forth in front of the books that still lay open on the table. Taking a deep calming breath Harry reviewed everything he knew about the situation he now found himself in. He had to force himself to look at the situation clinically if he wanted to make any since of it. Working himself up into another temper tantrum was not going to help him any. All he had to do was be completely professional. Harry took another deep breath and let it out slowly before he looked back at the books lying open on the desk in front of him.

From what he had uncovered so far, after Voldemort had killed his parents and failed in killing him. Dumbledore had hidden him away at the Dursleys claiming the reason was the lingering protection of his mother's love and the bonds of blood. Harry doubted the true protection of Dumbledore's blood wards. How could blood wards that centered on his aunt and uncle who had treated him like crap his whole life reinforce the protection that his mother gave him that were completely base on love? Then taking in to account that Voldemort had resurrected himself with the help of his blood, which the Dark Lord had already proven that the protection his mother had once given him was now void, the protection of blood wards at Privet Drive might be completely canceled out now. Which would explain why Dumbledore had Order members guarding his relatives home all last summer. But if the wards were voided and Dumbledore knew, then why had Dumbledore left him here all summer. The only reason he had been allowed to leave was because the Dementors had attacked him. It was quite clear Dumbledore was acting in selfish interests and not Harry's, things that happened in past five years started making a lot more sense in a completely sinister way.

His first year was what gave Harry pause; he had known that Dembledore was responsible for most of what happened. Three first year students had managed to get through a series of rather basic and elementary designed obstacles that any musically talented, decent flying, chess playing, Herbology student that knows how to float a club into a troll's head could've gotten through. It didn't escape Harry's notice that all seven obstacles just so happened to test all of Hermione's, Ron's, and his most developed talents at that time. It wasn't about protecting the stone with all those little tasks. Dumbledore had the perfect security measure all along. There was no way Voldemort was going to get that stone, Harry acknowledged. _' The rest of it was a test. For me.' _ Harry concluded bitterly. He wondered just how much of the things that had happened to him at Hogwarts had been of the Headmasters manipulations. What else was Dumbledore controlling in regards to him. Still pacing Harry began making a mental list of the last five years.

During my second year, Dumbledore knew Riddle was the half-blood heir of Slytherin - why did he not tell everyone? Voldemort wouldn't have anywhere near as many pureblood followers if Dumbledore had let it be known that the most evil Dark Lord of the century was basically a mudblood himself. Dumbledore is a master occlumency/legilimency, he knew I could hear the Basilisk in the walls, why did he not warn the students or teachers? He allowed it to happen both times! Ginny almost DIED! Why did he allow the whole school to think I was the heir? He hired Lockhart knowing he couldn't teach us anything. Why?

In my third year Dumbledore **HAD** to have known Sirius was innocent. Why had he testified against him if he knew it was Pettigrew who had betrayed my parents? Why did he leave Sirius in jail, but fought tooth and nail in order to keep Snape for the same fate? Could Dumbledore have hated Sirius in some way? Dumbledore **HAD** to have known the dementors was targeting me, why did he not protect me? He had to have known about the secret passages; even the newest first year can find most of them.

In fourth year Dumbledore must have known Moody/Crouch was a fake, the two had been friends for years surely the Headmaster had too have septic something wasn't right with Moody/Crouch. Why didn't he disqualify me? How can it be a legally binding contract if I didn't give consent? Why did he just set back and allow Hermione and me to be attacked by the Daily Prophet?

Again why had Dumbledore set back and let the Daily Prophet attack both of us so viciously? Why did he continue to keep Mrs. Figg a secret? Why did he trust Fletcher? Why did he fight so hard to keep me in the dark about what was going on? If Snape hadn't done such a half-baked job of 'teaching' me Occlumency, I might not have bitten for the fake, or let alone actually been told the real reason of **WHY** I needed to learn Occlumency in the first place. I can understand why Dumbledore had been unwilling to teach me, I certainly didn't want Dumbledore's memories available for Voldemort to freely download, but he should have kept Snape on a tighter leash somehow. And why did he keep Sirius locked up? There has too be a lot of different ways to keep someone from being tracked by magic, or the Ministry would have been able to find out were Sirius was hiding with no problem during my third and fourth year.

Each question he added to his mental list only showed more and more of just how fake Dumbledore really was. Harry wondered what kind of threat Dumbledore might have over Aunt Petunia to keep her taking him back every summer, though next summer was supposed to be his last, since on his 17th birthday he would become of age in the wizarding world and would be outside Dumbledore's authority, in the summer anyway. Though Harry had a sneaking suspicion that the old man wouldn't let that get in his way of trying to keep him under control and would find a way to confine him somehow, properly locking him up in Grimmaud Place like he had done with Sirius.

The discovery of the Claustrum Captivus Ward raised to many frightening questions to even try and address right now. He sincerely hoped Dumbledore would not call him to his office before he found a way to completely protect himself from the old mans manipulations. Confronting him and lashing out at the aging wizard for what he had done was a sure fire way to getting another mind cage cast on him, rounded off with a even stronger memory charm. Somehow finding out about the mental ward gave Harry an eerie sense of deja vu, the only difference was that it had been a young Tom Riddle who discovered the Headmasters betrayal and the out come of breaking the ward had not been pleasant. Something had gone wrong when the young Slytherin had removed the Headmasters mind cage, what had gone wrong Harry didn't know. For the moment Harry decided to examine those memories in more detail later, hopefully they would help shad some much needed light on his own problems regarding Dumbledore. At least his unnatural direct link to Voldemort's mind had been destroyed as his thoughts reviewed his possession of the Dark Lord.

His mind moved on to the contents of the prophecy, Harry wasn't sure that he completely believed it, though he acknowledged both Voldemort's and Dumbledore's faith in it. Harry found it difficult to believe anything Trelawney said as gospel, particularly something like this. Though she had made a real prophecy during his third year Harry admitted sullenly. That said, it explained a lot of Dumbledore's behavior over the years. He still couldn't believe Dumbledore had chosen to tell him about the prophecy only moments after Sirius had died. _' Did he think I didn't have enough shit on my shoulders already,' _

_" THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES... _blah blah blah_BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES... AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL..." _

Harry stopped abruptly in his pacing, his scar, the link he had to Voldemort's mind.

_'' Mark him as his equal '_"

That was it! Harry realized. The knowledge he had gained from Voldemort. The full manifestation of the _equal-ness_ Tom marked him with. Not in some figurative or psychological sense. Voldemort didn't go after him to show that he thought Harry was his equal. The Dark Lord had never thought of anyone as his equal. When he had tried to possess Harry the mark or link he had made in Harry only made it possible for Harry to become his equal. An equal to Voldemort's _knowledge_ which until now only Dumbledore could match. Harry knew from years of living with the Dursley's, Dudley and Vernon especially, was that the quickest way to defeating an enemy was to understand how their mind worked and then use it against them. And he now had one of the key weapons need to defeat the Dark Lord. Voldemort's own memories and knowledge. But it was his knowledge now. Unlike Tom he would not lose himself to his own hatred and thirst for revenge. He couldn't afford to lose himself. If he wasn't strong enough to push back all the things that had happened to him up until now, he would no doubt find himself on the same road Riddle had once tread all those year ago that lead him to become the Dark Lord he was today.

He would use his new knowledge to find Voldemort's weaknesses and than annihilate him along with his Death Eaters. He would also learn how to properly defend himself from his enemies and from those who wished to use him for their own gain. Along with gaining his independence in the wizarding world. He was going to be known for far more than just his scar when he was through. Harry understood that the first step he needed to take in obtaining his freedom from the Headmasters control was to have a full understanding of his legal rights and know how to exercise them. It had not escaped his notice that he was only given the most brief knowledge about the workings of the wizarding world only when absolutely necessary and sometimes not even then. He was quite sure that the prophecy was only the tip of the ice berg at the things Dumbledore was trying to keep him ignorant of, he needed to find out what those pacific things were before he made his bid at freedom.

_**Please Review!**_

_**Next Chapter: Slytherin's Sanctuary**_


	3. Chapter 3

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There was no one in the order that he could turn to for help. And as sad as he was to admit it, he could not trust Ron and Hermione either. It wasn't a lack of trust in his two best friends per say, but he didn't trust the Order not to some how cohered the information out of them in the pursuit of it being 'for his own good'. Sure, they were his friends and were trying to look out for him, but just because they thought they were doing what was best didn't mean that it was.

While he paced around the office trying to plan out everything he needed to research Harry noticed a circular set of runes that were engraved in the floor, what truly surprised him was that the runes were in a form of parseltongue. From what he could figure it was some kind of reveling charm.

Harry cautiously placed one foot inside the circle then quickly withdraw it just in case it triggered some type of nasty hexes. Logically Harry knew he was probably over reacting, Tom had walked over that spot quit a few times when he had started to come down here and Harry himself had walked over it without notice before he had casted a cleaning charm on the floor. That knowledge still didn't stop him from feeling nerves about stepping on it now that he knew it was there.

His curiosity soon got the better of him, gathering up all his Gryffindor courage, Harry step within the runes... nothing, taking a look around to see if anything had changed Harry was startled when he look up at the wall directly in front of him and saw a intricately carved snake where there had been none a moment before. As he examined it though, he realized it was different from the others. All the carved snakes he had come across so far had been fitted with emeralds for their eyes. This one however had what seemed to be smooth cut black diamonds where its eyes would be.

His excitement growing, Harry stared straight into the snake's eyes and ordered it to open in Parseltongue.

For a moment nothing happened... and then the snakes black eyes started to glow a bright emerald green. And in a flash Harry was transported from the room.

_**Ch. 3 Slytherin's Sanctuary**_

In the blink of an eye Harry realized his surroundings had changed dramatically, instead of a small stone study of the Chamber of Secrets Harry how stood in a dark entrance hall of some kind. He flicked his wand hoping that if there were any unseen torches near by they would light. He was glad when a moment later the walls torches burst into flame, filling the room with light. Now that he could see were he was going, he decide to have a look around.

In his exploration Harry discovered a series of medium size rooms including setting room, living quarters, a study, dueling chambers, potion lab, and a small kitchen. Everything was heavily coated with dust. It really looked as if there hadn't been someone to clean since Slytherin left, even more so than in the chambers office. He wondered just how long had it been since someone had found this place.

The small chambers also consisted of a series of training rooms that were filled with all types of ancient ageless weapons. Harry figured Salazar Slytherin must have designed this place as a private retreat of sorts. And as everything he had come across so far was parsel activated, Harry figured the old serpent had either been highly paranoid of intrusion, or severely obsessed with his snake like gift.

' Any Slytherin living or dead would probably give their wand arm to be where I am right now.' Harry thought with a small smile.

Searching farther while lighting torches and casting cleaning charms as he went. He found a rather large library full of books on potions, Parsel Magic, Charms, Human Transfiguration, the Dark Art and other various aspects of magic that he wasn't too familiar with. He started to search through the library eagerly. Then he noticed something strange. The majority of the books he had picked up were written in a language very few could ever possibly read or understand, most of the book here were written in Parseltongue.

That could only mean one thing-

" Salazar Slytherin's personal library," Harry whispered in realization. Not just books Salazar Slytherin had owned and collected. No, these were books he must have actually written. Things he had discovered or created himself. Things that had been known only to him. And as Harry had no recollection of this place at all, he figured Riddle had never found the place.

Somewhat reluctantly, he put the books back on their shelves. He would come back for them later. He started to leave, but was stopped by a voice.

"Leaving already, young one?"

Harry spun around so fast in order to see who had spoken he almost fell over. He didn't see anyone in the room, but the voice continued speaking.

" After all these years someone has once again found their way through the Serpentine Eyes. Granted I didn't expect someone as young as you, but I am sure you are someone special. You did what only fourteen before you have managed, in entering this structure."

Harry, who was still turning around in circles, wand drawn, scanning the room yelled out to the unknown voice.

"Who are you? Where are you?"

" Do not raise your voice to me child, " The voice spoke harshly. " Both of your answers you seek can be discovered if you look to the right of main door and up," was said in a much calmer tone.

Harry did just that. He carefully followed the wall to the right of the door. Near the center of the wall farthest from the main door hung a huge portrait of a man dressed in the old traditional Scottish attire along with wizarding robes made of a dark emerald green and black, with a silver trim. Long silver hair flowed down over his shoulders and down his back. The man had a strong medium size build, his face was square shaped with a strong jaw that had a thick but well trimmed mustache and bred. Emerald green eyes that were a lit with intelligence and a sharp cunning gazing down at Harry. ( Just picture Sean Connery in wizarding robes.) Wait he looks so familiar. Then with a jolt Harry remembers. It was the same man who's statue stood in the center of the Chamber of Secrets. Harry knew he really shouldn't have been in the least bit surprised given his current location, but he couldn't help it.

" Salazar Slytherin, " Harry breathed out loud.

" Yes, my young one and who might you be? " The Slytherin lord asked in a thick Scottish accent.

" Ha- Harry Potter, Sir. "

" Ah, so you are one of mine after all," He said sitting up a little straighter in his portrait. "I am quite pleased to meet you, young Harry. For I have heard much about you over the years. I am most intrigued by the rumors that have reached me. The fact that you were able to slay my Basilisk when you were only a wee lad of a second year. A worthy heir to my blood if there ever was one my boy."

With pride event in his voice.

" Erm, Heir..." Harry stated, unsure if he heard the man correctly.

" Of corse, the only way for you to have been brought here was, first you were a parselmouth and opened the secret passageway, second that you were born with the Serpentine Green eyes that are need in order to see the black eyed snake carved on the wall of the Chamber's study, and third the runic circle on the floor recognized the Gentry blood that most definitely flows in your veins. " Salazar finished giving Harry a look of amusement.

" No, y-you've made a mistake. I mean I can't be the hire of Slytherin. My mother was muggle-born! " said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended. Gosh, this sounded too much like the time Hagrid told me I was a wizard. " I mean, I'm- I'm in Gryffindor, I'm..."

But he fell silent as he helplessly tired to deny what he was being told while staring into the same almond shaped vivid green eyes that both his mother and he shared. A lurking doubt he had not felt since second year resurfacing in his mind.

**_- Flashback -_**

_Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and, " You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"_

_"I'm a what?"_

_"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"_

_"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story- but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to - that was before I knew I was a wizard -"_

_"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly._

_"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."_

_"Oh, no they can't" said Ron. "it's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."_

_" What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin--"_

_"Oh, that's what you said to it?"_

_"What d'you mean? You were there --- you heard me ----"_

_"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything --- no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something --- it was creepy, you know ---"_

_Harry gaped at him._

_"I spoke a different language? But --- I didn't realize --- how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"_

_Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible._

_"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"_

_"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."_

_Harry's mouth fell open._

_"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something ---"_

_"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain."_

_"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."_

_**- Flashback Ends-**_

Harry groaned pitifully. This day just kept getting worse and worse.

"I see your wizarding education in wizarding culture and traditions is lacking." Salazar said with a sigh. " As you should know, purebloods place great importance in their history. Gentry historically goes dormant whenever there is no male heir to carry on the traditions of the family. The last Gentry lord was nearly a century ago, his only son was killed and his only two daughters were turned into squibs by a dark wizard remained. Really lad, whoever advises you in your family history is proving to be less adequate than appropriate. So you see my boy, it doesn't matter what your mother perceived herself to be, you become the heir of Gentry regardless, because you are the first male magical child that has been born into the line for some time now." Salazar concluded. "Although I'm quite curious too know how you even ended up in Gryffindor."

It made sense Harry had to admit. He didn't know all that much about his mother's side of the family. His aunt had always refused to tell him anything about his grandparents claiming that it was none of his business. Now that he thought about it he had never even seen a picture of his mother's parents. And it wasn't like his aunt would openly admit to being on born from a historically magical bloodline, she barely admitted that she had once even had a sister.

"Well, Lord Slytherin..." Harry stated, unsure how to address the man.

"Don't call me Lord Slytherin, lad. Call me Salazar, or 'Sal' if you must." He sneered, but in a friendly way. Harry nodded.

"Yes sir. Sorry I mean Salazar."

"Now that's more like it. I am sure you have plenty of questions, I will answer them as soon as you tell me how you got sorted into Gryffindor."

Harry wasn't sure if he should trust what the portrait was telling him about his family history. After finding out what he had earlier Harry was hastened to trust anyone at face value.

"How can I know I can trust you, that you wont go and repeat what I tell you to my enemies?" Harry asked guardedly.

" A cautious Gryffindor, that's a rare breed indeed young one." said Salazar with a hint of respect in his voice. "I respect your caution lad. You are my heir little loin, whatever way it has come to pass. So I will not tell anyone your secrets. I Salazar Lucifer Gentry, Lord of Slytherin House, Hire of the Shadow Lords, swears on my magic and the blood of my four fathers that I will not betray Harry Potter and will keep his secrets as though they were my own."

After Salazar finished saying the Oath a golden light shimmered around the portrait and connected to Harry. In that moment he knew Salazar was telling the truth of his words.

" Well, how I became a Gryffindor is a bit of a long story, because to tell the story I have to tell you about the rest of my life, which will take awhile. So could you please answer some of my questions first before I tell you about my sorting?

Salazar thought for a second then agreed. "OK, you have a deal ask away.?

"What is this place?"

"I figured that was going to be your first question. This lad, was my Sanctuary Chamber. It was created by myself and my closet friend and cousin Godric Gryffindor." Before Harry asked, Salazar continued .

"He was a great friend, more like a brother to me. He could be annoyingly closed minded at times, and reckless, but a good man. We built this place as a privet sanctuary for me when I need time away from magic." Harry raised an eyebrow at this, why would Slytherin need time away from the magical world.

"Most of wizarding society only remembers that I was a very gifted parselmouth, as while as a Master of the Dark Arts and Charms. But only a select few knew about my abilities as a Nullifier and a Scanner." Noticing Harry's completely confused look he explained farther.

"Oh, Honestly! Didn't they each you anything about the different types of magical abilities some witches and wizards are born with." Salazar snapped.

"N-no, not really sir. I mean Salazar." Harry stumbled out. The old wizard closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a frustrated sigh.

"A Nullifier is a witch or wizard who possesses the very rare and powerful ability to stop or redirect magic affects from happening, which enables them to freely manipulate any form of magical energy to their every whim. They can stop a spells, or potions for harming them, or return a spell to it's caster with a great deal more strength behind it than when it was first cast. The strength of this ability varies from person to person, but a Nullifier is always born in very powerful wizards. These abilities to nullify usually shows up very early in a wizards life, mostly when they are still around the age of 4 or 5. I, myself came into my power when I was four years old and was gifted with every strong nullifying abilities.

"Now a Scanner is a term used for a wide range of talents." He began to explain, adopting a literature tone of voice that all teachers seemed to have. " In summary, a person that is born with a scanning ability can sense magic, usually when in contact with it. The gift may be slight, such as touching an object and knowing it is enchanted or exactly what type of enchantment was place on it, a moderated gifted scanner would be able to get a sense of a wizard's power levels through an extended physical contact unless a wizard was shielding themselves from detection. The rarest form of this gift is also the strongest, even without physical contact a Scanner can perceive and evaluate not only the strength of a wizard's powers, but what talents and gifts he possesses, even potentials. Sometimes there are even scanners that can see symbols of future events that will effect a person.

"There are many other variations besides those and usually doesn't manifest until a Scanner reaches their early teens... 13 - 16 years of age or so. Some don't even realize they have this ability or what it's even called because it's so rare. I myself, came into my powers when I was around 13 years old. Occasionally, Scanner will begin to manifest the gift earlier in life. Those individuals tend to have the strongest gifts."

Harry had no idea where all this was going but sat down in a near by chair that was next to Salazar's portrait and listened

regardless.

"Hogwarts when we were first starting to put all the wards and enchantments in place had an extremely high active magical atmosphere along with all the wards we constructed the active magic stretched for miles. Even though I had mastered controlling my scanning abilities years before we decided to turn the castle into a school. Living there full-time after the wards were completed was a great strain on me sometimes, trying to block out all the magical patterns I could see and feel was driving me mad. So Godric and Rowena came up with the idea of building this sanctuary from me that was able to block out Hogwarts sometimes over powering atmosphere when it became too much sometimes. I could come here to relax.

"After many years I decided to use this place in order to train those of my bloodline that came after me who were gifted with the Serpentine green eyes and parseltongue. I would pass on the knowledge of how to willed the power needed to control the Basilisk that resigned within the Chamber os Secrets, to be use as one of the last defense of Hogwarts if ever the school fell under seized to a Dark wizards who sought to destroy our world and way of life." Salazar hissed out the words with nothing but contempt and loathing.

"But Professor Binns told us that you wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts." Harry stated, not being able to stop himself. " He said that you believed that magic should only be taught to the purebloods, since you thought Muggle-borns to be untrustworthy. And that after a fight with the other Founders you built the Chamber of Secrets and that only your hire could open it to release the basilisk, using it to purge the school of all the Muggle-borns."

As Harry finished recounting what he had learned during his second year he noticed the god-smacked expression on Salazar Slytherin's face. The man looked like he was fit to throw a towering rage, but he instead did the most unexpected thing Harry could have imagined, the ancient wizard had doubled over in hysterical laughter. The old wizard was laughing so hard he almost fail out the frame of his portrait.

It surprised Harry greatly that Salazar's laughter wasn't the evil cackle he would have thought it would be, but a warm rich laugh that seemed to calm Harry's earlier misgivings that he first had about the Lord of Slytherin House. Harry felt that there just no way a person that possessed such a rich and warm laugh that seem to be full of life, could possibly belong to the Dark wizard history had painted him to be.

After a few moments the serpentine lord got himself under control enough to stand up straight.

"Lad, I haven't laughed like that in centuries." Salazar said with a lingering chuckle. "That's the worst historical garbage that deal's with the legend of the Chamber of Secrets I've ever heard. If that's the kind of rot they try to pass off as Hogwarts history or wizarding history in general, than its no wonder I've been regarded as a Dark Lord."

"Then why did you build the Chamber of Secrets?" asked Harry.

"Well, contrary to many of the ' historical ' facts, the Chamber of Secrets was not built without the knowledge of the other Founders. Given where the main entrance of the chamber is located, along with the size of the chamber itself it's quite easy to see that the chamber is actually helping to support 1/3 of Hogwarts castle.

"The Chamber of Secrets actually has four different rooms, one for each of us. Each one served a different propose in the last defenses of the school. My chamber housed the Basilisk, the King of Serpents, since it could live for hundreds of years it was the prefect creature to keep until it was needed to be used if the school main defense failed. The Basilisk also served to help keep the population of other animals that lived in the forbidden forest at a reasonable level.

"Since my family was gifted with the powers of the Serpentine eyes along with the parseltogue we willed a certain power over all serpentine creatures. Our powers even gave us the ability to withstand the murderous stare of the Basilisk, that's why I decided to use it in order to defend the school from attack I was the only one who could withstand its gaze."

" They were dark times in which I lived lad." The Slytherin lord spoke in a far a way tone. "When I was a young lad it was very common for most learned witches and wizards to take on apprentices to help them learn the magical arts to bring in extra money into the house and help work the land. Some master of the arts had 5-10 apprentices at once if the family was wealth enough. There were even some muggle apprentices that studied the noble Art of Potion making, given that one hardly needed a wand or real magical powers to be capable in the craft.

" Sometimes if the common muggles or muggle-born apprentices were stupid enough to go back and show what they had learned to other muggles they were labeled as devil worshipers and were interrogated and tortured, tried and punished. Some times -not always- they were sentenced to death. The muggle-borns suffered the most blame and punishment if found out by their ignorant kin or neighbors that were jealous or scared of their powers. The ones caught were accused of a variety of absurd accusations of Satanism if they didn't gave up the names and locations of other magic users that they knew. Many witches and wizards were attack and on rare occasion sometimes killed by the raids of those who did gave up the information. So many pureblood masters stopped taking apprentices that were muggle-born for fear of their families safe.

"There was a Dark wizard in my time, a muggle-bron that went by the name of Darkmoore, he to was gifted with the powers of a the dark arts, but he let the power they held corrupt and twist his mind and soul. In order to become more powerful he perform every extremely dark and powerful ritual own for over the spanned of thirty years. His goal was to become the first made Castus Magus in wizarding history, and to rain over both magical and muggle worlds with his power. His followers were called the Hunters and were also muggles-borns that Darkmoore had personal raised and apprentice. He took in all those that the other pure-blood masters had turned away, thinking them too weak of magical ability to properly learn the Magical Arts.

"Darkmoore used the Hunters children as decoy apprentices in order to gain entry in to wizarding families strong holds in order to bypass the homes wards with a homing portkey that he would hidden on the child's person. In was no longer safe to teach out of ones home anymore, that is when Rowena, Godric, Helga and I decided to start a completely magical school that was far away from the prying muggle eyes and Darkmoore's influences.

"Lots of witches and wizards believed that because of the growing number of attacks on the pure-blood wizarding citizens, that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families, that muggle-borns were no long worthy of our ancestors knowledge, because so many discarded muggle-borns were joining Darkmoore.

"There were even some pure-bloods that protested Hogwarts being open at all because it took their family income for teaching apprentices away. The biggest debates between the four of us was if we were still going to allow some muggle-borns to continue to learn the Magical Arts with the threat that one of the students might by one of Darkmoore's decoys. I was the most reserved amongst the four of us about taking students of muggle parentage I truthfully admit. If a decoy did somehow managed to get inside the schools wards a whole generation of magical children would be completely lost.

"About a year before we officially opened Hogwarts the decision was made for all of us. Darkmoore and his Hunters launched a massacre that winter on some of the muggle-born families that lived in wizarding settlements, but who refused to follow him. Some families were completely wiped out, other only survived in hand full. I lost a lot of good friends and some family battling that senseless raid. With the Massacre of Cottagebridge Darkmoore and his Hunters had killed over thirty magical families.

" After that the muggle-borns and half-bloods who families survived the raid and did not follow Darkmoore were allowed to come to Hogwarts. We made sure that no outside portkeys could get past the wards. And a new stronger Security Charm was invited by Rowena was placed on all incoming muggle-borns and their families, which made it impossible for them to disclose anything they learned about the magical world to other muggles that were out side their emitted family. Even now the security charm is still place on muggle-borns and their family. Since it was too dangerous to simply allow an untrained witch or wizard to find their way into Darkmoore's hands because their muggle family abandoned them when it was discovered they had magical powers, or if it was clear that the child would be in danger from their family for being magical, the child was taken away from their families to live in the castle year round."

"About five years after the school opened, one of the Gryffindor muggle-born that had agreed with some of Darkmoore's idea that the ruling pure-blood lords needed to be taken out of power, had some how convenience one of the Slytherin muggle-borns of this logic. And together tired to kill some of the children of the ruling lords in Darkmoores name. They were able to kill two of their targets before we were able to stop them. After that, I banned all muggle-borns from entry into Slytherin House. I was not willing to risk the safety of those under my care to any more of Darkmoore's madness."

Harry was completely dumfounded by what Salazar had just explained to him, why hadn't anyone bothered to explain what really happened to start the animosity between the purebloods and muggle-borns. He could certainly understand it to a point, but wonder why they were still looked down upon by most wizards even to this day and asked as much.

Salazar sighed wryly at the question but answered it regardless. " Harry, do try to use your common sense. Would you truly be able to view people who have actually tried to hurt your people down and actively sought the destruction of your world, who tried to rape, torture, and kill your mother, sister, wife, and children with anything less than contempt and hatred. Then at the same time, joyfully open your arms to _their_ children and teach them all the knowledge of your culture and heritage without feeling any type of negative emotion even if it was in an abstract way towards them." Salazar asked with a cold sneer.

Harry shook his head no. Unable to even look at Slytherin in the eye after asking what he realized was a very stupid question.

" Yeah, I didn't think so either." Salazar said in a cold whisper.

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_**To be continued...**_

_**Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot. So don't sue me. All Harry Potter™ characters and settings are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 4: A Mentor Gained**

_Harry shook his head no. Unable to even look at Slytherin in the eye after asking what he realized was a very stupid question._

_"Yeah, I didn't think so either." Salazar said in a cold whisper. _

"Now that I've told you about myself, I think it's time for you to do the same." Salazar said, after a few minutes of silence passed between them.

Harry took a deep breath, he started his story with the night Voldemort murdered his parents and then tried to kill him as well, but being unsuccessful. Harry was slightly amazed that the memories of that night now seemed clearer and more detailed now that the mind cage was no longer in place. And with added help from Voldemort's memories he was able to piece together the events of that night more accurately. Which helped to reveal that Voldemort did not travel alone that night, Snape and Wormtail were with him.

Snape had helped in murdering his father by hitting him in the back with a piercing curse while James had his full attention on his duel with Voldemort. Though before Voldemort was able to kill him, James wounded Snape badly enough that he had to leave his masters side. His mother did not have her wand with her when she faced Voldemort. Harry fought down his burning rage at the memory of his parent's death. Snape's involvement only made Harry more eager to kill the bastard. Though the memories were still choppy it was far more detailed then he had ever remembered before.

From there, Harry explained briefly about his miserable childhood with the Dursleys'. How the first day went when he was sent his Hogwarts letter and the chaos that followed, his visit into the magical world. It was only after he reached the part about finding the troll in the girls bathroom that Salazar interrupted him and instructed Harry to use his old pensive that was stored in one of the back cabinets in the room.

After some quick lessons on how to operate a pensive, Harry's ability at recalling his memories became a lot easier. For the next two hours Harry told Salazar everything he could about his so called adventures throughout all his years at Hogwarts. Showing much of what happened with the help of the pensive the same way Dumbledore did when he showed Harry the Prophecy. Never purposely leaving anything out, Harry did over look some of his memories however.

Some of Voldemort's most resent memories of the past five years filled in many of the blanks of information in Harry's own story. After a little while Harry was telling everything more to himself then to Salazar, almost forgetting about the old portrait as his life played out before him. Harry began to truly realize the advantages of using a Pensive. He had never purposely tried to remember everything like this before, and seeing it all again allowed him to analyze what happened much more clearly than ever before. In doing so, Harry realized just how much he had been used, lied to, and manipulated. He was shocked that it was on an even grander scale than he originally thought. He felt like a complete fool to not have realized it before now.

But now that the mind cage was broken, Harry could remember clearly every whispered command that Dumbledore's fog had given him. It left his blood cold at knowing how much power and influence the old man had once held over him. How easily he was controlled. How eager he was to please the voice of his, _' master '_. Harry gave a violent shutter at that last thought.

When he was younger, it had only been the Dursleys' whom he had to guard himself against. Once he entered into the magical world it became mainly the Slytherins' at Hogwarts and Voldemort. This year it had been the Ministry. But now Harry realizes his muggle relatives, spoiled children, a Dark Lord, and a corrupt government, were the least of his worries. His greatest enemy had been the closest one to him.

When he first entered the Wizarding world he had been nothing more than a wide-eyed ignorant child. A child who was starved for the chance to prove that he was worth more then what the Dursleys' had always made him out to be. To prove he was someone normal to those he respected and looked up too. That he could, in some small way, live up to the title of the Hero of the Wizarding world. He had been slowly cultivated to save everyone because as a Hero, the life of the victim was _' more important '_ than his own.

He had to give the man credit; Dumbledore had started him off slowly, letting his gentle giant Hagrid lay the foundation of a Gryffindor mentality._ ' There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.'_ Years of living with the Dursleys' had taught him to stay away from anything that was likely to gain him even more negative attention, which lead him to shun any traits he had that could be seen as those of a Slytherin. And at the time, in his mind, being put in a house that the majority of the wizarding world thought of as pure evil, was not a good idea when entering a world that was so unfamiliar to him.

Everyone had expected him to be the perfect little Gryffindor, to be the Hero, the Saviour. And with the help of the fogs guidance he had tried to become just that. Hermione had been right when she said he had a_ 'saving people problem'_, but not one of his own creations. All the right people had encouraged him down the path of the reckless Gryffindor saviour, completely under Dumbledore's control and command. While at the same time, suppressing him and shunning him to the point that his closest friends were an ostracized muggle-born and a poor hen-peaked light wizard. With two best friends that were both considered to be of the lower class. He would also stay in that social class out of loyalty to their friendship, causing him to shun the higher-class circles in which he born into. While the prejudice that they faced helped the old man mold his sense of righteousness. And he had been too blind to see any of it at the time. Paranoia would now be in healthy supply when it came to dealing with those around him from now on.

He may have been angry with Dumbledore over this past year, but he had never expected the old wizard to stoop this low. Viewing his own memories had made him lose all remaining respect he had once held for the man. What deity had he offended in another life to warrant the life he had now, Harry wonder. What had he ever done to warrant such distrustful mistreatment?

Viewing the events of the night at the DoM were the hardest to watch. It took all his strength for him not to break down completely as he watched Sirius fall through the veil for the second time. His grief and guilt over that night threatened to consume him, pulling him deep into a pit of despair. Taking a few minutes to calm himself down before he continued with his story, though he had notice that a lot of Voldemort's most resist memories dealt with the veil itself somehow, but they were to jumbled to make any kind of since to him at the moment.

After Harry had finished his story, he looked up to Salazar's portrait for his reaction to all that he had shared about his life up until this point, and he was shock and a little afraid at what he now saw. Gone was the calm and posed Lord with the warm laugh. In his place was a powerful and enraged Dark Lord, who many till this day still feared. The man's entire body was taut and rigid; a dark halo of magical power surrounded him. On his face was a look of pure fury, his nose faired while green eyes literally were a blaze with anger and hatred. Harry drew back a little from the ancient portrait, Salazar looked more powerful then both Dumbledore and Voldemort could ever dream of competing with. Harry hoped that Salazar's anger wasn't directed at him.

It had taken Salazar Slytherin quite a few minutes to calm down enough to think rationally and clearly. He had heard many rumors about the young Gryffindor from some of the other portraits that contained members of the Gentry family who were still able to travel through the portraits of Hogwarts. But now after seeing what really took place the truth was ten times more mind blowing and surreal than any rumor could ever hope to be.

The Slytherin Lord was beyond furious at what that manipulative fool Dumbledore had done in regards to Harry. What that man had tired to tune the true heir of the Slytherin line into. It had been nearly sixty years since Dumbledore had charmed all the portraits in Hogwarts not allow his portraits image entrance into the castle. Limiting his movements to only his sanctuary, the Gentry ancestral homes and certain scholastic charm schools around the world. If he had still been alive, the backstabbing bastard would be suffering from one of the most slow and painful deaths ever conceived to wizarding kind. Given that his knowledge and skill in the Dark Arts had never been matched, even to this day and age, was saying something. Harry's quiet voice broke Salazar out of his angry thoughts.

"I spent so much time trying not to think about all the bad things that happened to me or not being allow to think too deeply on it all. I've never really just sat down and talked about everything before." Harry was silent for a moment.

"It was all just one big manipulation wasn't it? Just one big lie I've been forced to live. I was never a human being to him, just a tool, just a toy that Dumbledore liked playing with." His voice breaking slightly, he fought desperately to hold back his tears.

"I can not say positively, I do not believe that everything was; the plots to kill you were certainly genuine. But what concerns me most of all is the magnitude in which things were manipulated around you. From what you have shown me when you attempt to destroy the link to Voldemort's mind, I'm quite positive that Dumbledore used the last remaining essences of your mother's soul that she give up in order to give you protection to help secure the link between the remaining magic from the failed Killing Curse in order to feed the Claustrum Ward." Salazar hissed angrily.

"Leaving you in such a negative environment of your own mother's blood, could only serve to strengthen such an unnatural link. That riot that Dumbledore told you about you needing to stay with your muggle relatives because he extended your mother's sacrifice to your blood kin is a complete lie. An outside party can in no way extend a soul sacrifice to anyone but the person the sacrifice was made for, blood kin or no. Placing you with your muggle relatives could only serve to help keep you from noticing that your mind was being suppressed because your native environment was suppressing you negatively from the start. Every time you returned to your relatives home during the summers only helped to recharge the link, because it's within the month of your birth. Now that the Claustrum Captivus and the link is broken, the remaining protection your mother give you should be able to protect you in the way it was always meant too."

Harry balled his shaking hands into tight fists, and close eyes tightly against the rage that was building inside him. He had already guessed about most of what Salazar had just told he in regards of the supposed wards protecting Privet Drive. But he wasn't prepared to hear that Dumbledore had somehow bonded a piece of his mother's soul to the remaining magic of the Killing curse for no other reason but to control him easier. That bastard was going to pay dearly for all that he had done.

"Harry, tell me, do you know what kind of effects the Dark Arts can have on a small child's mind, soul, and magical core." asked Salazar his face now showing no outward emotion. Harry just shook his head, still too angry to talk.

"Great Merlin, do they still teach anything of substance at that school anymore?" Salazar asked angrily, "Well pay attention because this is something very important that you need to understand. And I do not like repeating myself." The old wizard said before switching into his professor persona he always used with his students.

"At such a young age, a child's mind and magical core is still developing. Any magic greater in magnitude than a fourth year spell, or any spell held for an extended period of time, will have the potential to adversely affect the child. The damage done can vary wildly. It all depends on what type of spell as been cast on the child. This is especially true in regards to the Dark Arts. It's was a every good thing that your parents were able to put such a powerful magical block on you in order to protect your core before Voldemort was able to attack you using the Avanda Kedavara. Which is one of the darkest and most powerful curses known to wizarding kind. If they hadn't protected your magical core, and you had still somehow served the attack, the best anyone could have hoped for was for your magic to have been erratic, steaming between turbulent fits of extremely powerful accidental magic and being made a squib. The worst out come would have been an intense case of Dementia, Magic Loss, or a complete corruption of your mind, magic, and soul, causing Damnum Veneficus.

"The Algiz Block also served the purpose of stopping anyone from tampering with your magical core. If Dumbledore had been able to bond the Claustrum Captivus ward to feed itself from your developing magical core, coupled with such a negative environment to raise you in, it would have caused a severe case of Damnum Veneficus. Likely turning you into a completely dark wizard even before you hit puberty.

"In such a unique case as yours, all that was needed was a Sacred Circle ward to protect your mind from the link and the remaining magic from Voldemort's failed Killing curse. The ward would have only needed to be reinforced periodically, until a professional Medi-witch or wizard declared it safe to remove. There was absolutely no need for such a dark spell to be used other then the purpose of wanting to have control over a potentially powerful weapon."

By the end of Salazar's explanation, Harry could feel an ice cold chill run down his spin. _'Damnum Veneficus? Magic Loss, Dementia? Now that the mind cage was gone, would that still happen? Or will I be okay, now that I'm older? ' _Harry thought franticly.

"If you fretting over the possibility of you suddenly going insane and during into the next Dark Lord its highly unlikely. It's been almost 15 years since the spell was cast, and from the memories you have shared with me, you have never shown an interest in the Dark Arts or made plans on taking over the world. If there was any ill side-effects from the ward I guarantee they would have showed up by now." Salazar said with an amused sneer.

"But I do recommend being checked over by a Healer, just to make sure you didn't harm yourself somehow when you removed the ward." He added as an after thought. Harry just nodded in understanding, too relieved to do more.

"Now I would like to address the manipulation of your Hogwarts letter, because that is also a cause of concern. " said Salazar.

"What do you mean the manipulation of my Hogwarts letter? I didn't even get a chance too read it until Hagrid came to get me on my birthday." said Harry in confusion.

"That's why I am concerned." Salazar snapped testily. "Hagrid was not even a professor at the time, but a mere games keeper, a servant! He should not have been sent to you that day. While rare, you are not the first magic-born child to be raised by Muggles. It has always been Hogwarts policy to introduce people like you and your families to the magical world in the same way as a Muggle-born. Your aunt having some knowledge of the magical world is irrelevant. Muggle-born students are never sent invitations of education via owls.

"A Hogwarts professor, generally a Head of House, goes to the houses of the incoming Muggle-born students for the first meeting. They are to then explain about the magical world and Hogwarts to the family in detail, provide proof that magic does exist and charm the family so they may not tell others of our existence, like I explained to you earlier. Around three hundred years ago it became very necessary for the incoming students from the muggle world to have a ghost register under a different school name to have a creditable accounts of their education in the muggle world if they wished to attend muggle universities. The parents or guardians, along with the magical child are given books and pamphlets about our world, how to deal with having a magical child, health needs, and the laws they must now abide by. They are also given a separate book list to make learning how to use their magic easier in their future studies. You were given none of these things.

"And if you recall Harry, your relatives are not the first to decide they do not wish for their child to go to Hogwarts. There are policies in place to deal with such problems. From your memories and from what you have said about how your relatives treat you. I have little doubt that in your case you would have been removed from your relatives care once your living environment was publicly discovered."

Salazar's words shocked Harry somewhat. He had always hated being forced to return to the Dursley's and now he learned that he could have left them if it wasn't for Dumbledore's meddling.

"But that is not what disturbs me the most about your life. What greatly alarms me is not what Dumbledore didn't allow to happen, but what he did allow to happen while you were here at Hogwarts." Salazar hissed furiously.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Harry feared that he already knew exactly what Salazar meant, but a part of him had never wanted it to be true.

"What I mean is that all the dangers you've faced within the halls of Hogwarts should have never been allowed to happen. Hogwarts my young heir, is far more than just an old castle made of stone. We made her into a sort of consciousness, almost to the point of her being ensouled. We created her to be extremely intellectual, protective of all those who are under her care, and to have the ability to protect herself from attack if the need ever arouse. She is anchored to the wards that protect the school. Her consciousness resides within the very halls of Hogwarts castle.

"When a witch or wizard takes the position of Hogwarts Headmaster, they become magical connected to the wards, as well as the consciousness of Hogwarts herself. If a problem of security arises no matter how small the Headmaster is notified, or the Deputy Headmaster if the Headmaster is inaccessible to do anything about the problem, even if they are off the school grounds. She is able to warren the other Professors but to a lesser degree.

"For extra more detailed information the Headmaster or the other Professors can be alerted by a portrait. This is the reason why Hogwarts is so full of wizarding portraits, status, suites of armor, talking mirrors, and House-elves. They serve as her, eyes and ears, so to speak. "

Harry could do nothing but sit there, mouth hanging open slightly while Salazar's words washed over him in waves. All the danger and death he had faced had been even more pointless than he had first thought. A completely numbness of feeling spread over him as another layer to Dumbledore's betrayal was revealed to him. Harry had to pull himself back to the here and now when he finally noticed that Salazar was speaking to him once more.

"It's quite obvious that you will have to break yourself free from Dumbledore and his influences and all those who choose to follow that man blindly." Salazar spoke in a stern voice.

"You will need to become as independent and self-reliant as possible against those who wish to try and use you for their own gain. The only option you have open to you is to claim full lordship over your families estates."

"But how Salazar, I'm not even of age."

"That my dear boy is precisely why you need to claim the full lordship over the Gentry and Potter estates and holdings. You are the last living direct descendant of two ancient noble pureblood wizarding lines, once you claim lordship you are automatically reclassified as a legal adult come your sixteenth birthday within the Wizarding world." Salazar said with a smug smile.

"Though before you are able to do that you must first research the History and by-laws that govern your family Houses. As my Heir, I will help you learn everything you need to know about the Gentry line. Also, because you are the heir to one of the Founders you have certain rights and privileges while at Hogwarts. You even have a certain sway over the castles magic. All you need to do is claim your rightful inheritance. Go to the Room of Requirements and call forth the Hall of the Founders. Once the door appears to you place your hand on the seal while speaking these words in parseltongue:

Lady of Hogwarts, Maiden full of grace, Remind me of my Courage.

Lady of Hogwarts, Mother round and full, Remind me of my Loyalty.

Lady of Hogwarts, Crone the teacher still, Remind me of my Wisdom.

Lady of Hogwarts, Siren swift and soothing, Remind me of my Cunning.

I am pure of heart. Seeking answers left to me.

Aid me Mistress of Hogwarts. Guide your Heir true. Keep my secrets,

As I shall keep yours.

And tell me of my enemies and the dangers I must face.

Hear me; Come before me, My Lady of Hogwarts.

"After saying these words go inside the room and the consciousness of Hogwarts castle will appear before you. You also need to visit the library for the Family Charters, which are located in the Ancestral Magic section.

"Wizarding law and proper social etiquette will need to be of great focus in your up coming studies my young serpent. And the reason I grouped those two topics together, is because they are more closely related than you could ever imagine, especially when you go back to some of the older, more ancient wizarding laws that are barely remembered anymore, but could be used to your advantage. Like the law that states you have had the right to practices magic freely in your home since you turned thirteen because you are the last son and heir to both the Potter and Gentry lines. So there fore your ministry trail should have never taken place.

And from what you've told me of the idiots running the magical world, you're going to need to know _exactly_ what you can and can't do under the letter of the law. If you don't, you will find yourself being taken advantage of, like at your trail, or even reprimanded for something you were entitled to do. You have to know the game before you can play it. " Salazar said with a playful sneer.

Harry was too surprised to even reply to all that. A small grin spread over his face. What other wonderful laws and hidden privileges were out there that he could use to his advantage. Luckily for him the Slytherin Lord provided Harry with quite a few secrets that were sure to come in handy during the rest of his years while living at Hogwarts. After talking a little while longer Harry headed back to the Chamber. He finished cleaning up the office, collected and shrunk a hand full of books on warding and security spells. Then made his way back up to the main part of the school.

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_**To be continued...**_

_**Please review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot. So don't sue me. All Harry Potter™ characters and settings are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 5: Finding Hope**

As Harry remerged from the dark clove from were he disappeared from earlier this morning, his invisibility cloak still hiding him from view. The sudden smell of dinner being served waft over him making his stomach growl hungrily. But not being particularly in the mood to eat in the Great Hall, Harry decided to visit the kitchens instead.

He tickled the pear on the portrait, once inside he was immediately pounce upon by a rather over excitable House-elf.

"Hello Dobby," Harry greeted as he gently tried to loosen the vise grip the small creature had on him.

"Dobby is so happy to see Harry Potter, sir!" Squealed a voice from somewhere around Harry's navel. "Dobby was hoping to visit Harry Potter before Harry Potter left Hogwarts for his summer. Headmaster Dumbledore said you needed watching. But Dobby is knowing Harry Potter is a good wizard and wont wonder off again." Harry stiffened at the elf's words.

"Don't worry Dobby, I won't wonder too far." Harry said with forced calm. "Hey Dobby, If it's not much trouble, do you think I could get a bit to eat? I sort of wanted to avoid the Great Hall right now."

"Of course Harry Potter, Dobby will bring you your missed dinner, Dobby will get it right away." said the little House-elf as he popped away to gather Harry's meal. Pushing the other elves out of his way in order to fore fill Harry's request.

Harry didn't have to wait long before Dobby reappeared in front of him, carrying a basket full of food and a canister of pumpkin juice. After thanking Dobby, Harry cased a quick feather-light charm on the heavy basket and then made his way up to the seventh floor, taking the corridors less used by the main populous of the school.

Coming to the stretch of wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, after casting a Confundus charm on it for it couldn't spy on him, Harry concentrated on calling forth the Hall of the Founders. After his third pass he noticed a highly polished black door with no handle appear before him, in the middle of the door was a highly detailed mental carving of the Hogwarts school seal. Placing his right hand over the seal, Harry closed his eyes in concentration and spoke the words Salazar had given him. As soon as he finished the last phrase Harry felt a strange prickling sensation in his right hand. He tried to pull back but his hand had become stuck to the seal. Just when Harry was about to panic he felt a familiar jerk somewhere behind his navel, pulling him onward in a swirling of color.

Harry felt his feet slam onto the ground a moment later, making him fall forward at the sudden feeling of nausea that swept over him. Merlin, he hated portkeys. Harry raised his head, taking in his new surroundings.

The room Harry now found himself standing in was a little smaller than the Great Hall, but was made completely out of pure white marble which glittered brightly from the light of the crystal orbs that were floating above his head, while the ceiling was enchanted to show the cosmos of the night sky. There were no windows, doors, or House tables in the room, only a large bookcase that was built in to each of the four walls. Which looked like they housed thousands of books, journals, and scrolls. There were even a couple of cabinets that storied potions. To Harry's right, seated right between the book cases was one of the largest fire places he had ever seen in his life, it was just as tall as he was. On each of the four walls hung one of the Houses banners; under each banner was the sleeping portrait of the Houses Founder. And in the middle of the room was a large rug that housed the rooms sitting area, with lots of elegant but comfortable look leather sofas and chairs. A wide coffee table sat in the center, which was engraved with the Hogwarts seal.

Harry looked around the room in complete awe. Suddenly a burst of power leaps from each of the four House banners. Swirling around the room in a creation of red, yellow, blue, and green light. The colors of light collected in front of Harry, swirling faster and faster. He had to cover his eyes as a blinding white light exploded before him. When he uncovered his eyes, a lone tall figure stood before him.

Harry hadn't known what to expect when the Hogwarts Lady first appeared before him. Her form looked more solid then the form of a ghost but still not complete. She was tall and graceful looking, her face was a soft square shape, with her hair pulled back into one long elaborate braid that reached down to the small of her back. She had big expressive eyes that seemed to be filled with tears of joy, while a lovely smile graced her face. She wore a beautiful pair of wizarding robes that clung to her hourglass figure.

"Hello Harry," She spoke without actually taking. Harry felt a warm motherly voice ghost it's way across his mind. He could do nothing but stand in complete shock at the almost solid specter before him. She smiled at the look on his face. "I'm sorry if I startled you Harry. That's just how I'm use to communicating with others most times. It's a form of telepathy that the Founders created for me when I'm not able to take a physical form."

"Come take a seat. I know you must have a lot of questions that you're just bursting to ask." She said as she led him over to one of the sofas by the fireplace. The fire roared to life as soon as they took their seats.

"Um... How do you know who I am?" Harry asked in a small curious voice.

"I know every child that has ever walked through my halls. I watch throughout all their triumphs and their failures. Through true love and broken hearts. Betrayals and Forgiveness. But some people that come here stand out too me more then others. Those who do are very special. They are my Children. They are the ones with the deepest connection to the Realm of Magic. Your mother was one of my Children. I was every pleased to find out that you are one as well. Though it is a shame at how long it took for us to finally meet. But it was not your fault, that was Dumbledore's doing I'm afraid." Said the Hogwarts Lady sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"I have been trying to communicate with you for some time now. Since you first stepped foot off the Hogwarts Express. After all that time, you had finally returned to Hogwarts. You had finally returned home. But the wall Dumbledore placed around your mind blocked you from me." She explained sadly.

"Did he place other spells on me?" Harry asked with just a little fear.

"Yes my Child, he has. Most of them are monitoring charms that link you to different devices that are guarded in the Headmasters office. There is a strong glamour charm on you that has hidden the state of your malnutrition and abuse you have suffered over the years. There is also a Compulsion Charm placed on your glasses that makes it almost impossible for you to just throw them way. Your glasses are the reason you never tried or wanted to tell anyone about the way the Dursleys' really treated you. And your school robes are fitted with small magical suppression bands. Though, the Headmaster only started using them on you during your fourth year, which is why you had so much trouble performing magic that year. Sadly, you are not the only one that he has done this too. There is another in this castle who is also under the suppressive control of a mental ward." She said softly, gazing into the fire, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow.

"Who?" Harry asked, "Who else is he controlling with that thing."

"Neville Longbottom," She said softly. Harry was shocked. Why Neville, of all people Harry wonder. Was it because Neville could have been the child of the prophecy too? Was Dumbledore making sure he had a spare weapon under his control if he broke the first one, like he had done with Riddle? Harry was a little stunned at how sad the Hogwarts Lady seemed.

"Because I am what you could call a living consciousness, it is quite easy for me to perform legilimency on the people within my castle. Though the Headmaster can block me at times, I have seen what plans lies within his mind for you. He believes that your life must be sacrificed in a battle against Voldemort in order for the evil that has plagued the wizarding world to end. He has been trying to force the final battle between you and Voldemort since your first year. He wanted it to end before either of you became any stronger and the final battle was out of his control."

Harry tried hard as he could to hold back the burning tears that were gathering in his eyes. He didn't think he could feel any worst than when he had read about the _Claustrum Captivus _and what it was for. But now that he knew, without a shadow of doubt that Dumbledore was actively trying to kill him, his earlier anger and pain increased ten fold. Causing his hatred and anger to become frozen in his gaze and on his face. Harry stanched his eyeglasses off and with brutal force through them into the fire, causing them to break into small pieces. The Hogwarts Lady could see plainly how much suffering her Child was going through and without hesitation she gathered Harry in a loving embrace while he silently cried out his anguish.

"He has sinned against you greatly, my Child." She spoke in a soft but firm voice. "Your godfather's imprisonment was not a mistake. Neither was Pettigrew's betrayal of your parents unknown to Dumbledore before their deaths. After all, Pettigrew lived in my castle for almost seven years as a pet rat of Percival Weasley and then Ronald Weasley before you were able to uncover the truth.

"Dumbledore was the main wizard who helped create that monster Voldemort. He broke that boy long before the child entered Hogwarts castle fifty years ago. When he tried to mold and shape Tom Riddle in his own ideal image, he helped turn that boy darker than he already was. And he is making the same mistakes with you, my young Child.

"He has betrayed the Light. He has lost sight of the true path in which magic travels, and the path of those gifted with magic must protect. He has become selfish and corrupt with gaining power for power sake. Dumbledore believes too heavily in his quest _' the greater good '_. He has sacrificed the childhoods of hundreds of witches and wizards for no other reason than the fact he did not trust the lineage in which they were born to. Or the fact that they would be more powerful than him if they were able to reach their full magical potential and maturity."

The Hogwarts Lady gently lifted Harry's chin so that she could look directly into his soulful green eyes. "I promise that I will help you bring him and all those who seek to destroy you and our world to justice. The castle will protect you and aid you in any way we can, my Child. You are no longer alone." After Harry had claimed down some the Hogwarts Lady continued to explain about the other things that had been concealed from him.

"The Founders gifted me with the ability to sense what type of magic flows within those that reside within my halls. I can feel what magic has touch them and read and recognize the magical signatures of any and all those who have come in contact or passed through the wards of Hogwarts.

"The Headmaster has taken much from you my Child. Year after year, He as wiped away your memories of his and others crimes against you. I could give you back your memories, but my powers are bound, and so, I have not the power to do so." She said softly, lowering her head in shame.

"Who bounded you."? Harry asked.

"Dumbledore. A year before you came to Hogwarts, the Headmaster cast a binding spell on me. He wanted total control of the on goings of the castle and it's wards. He did not want me to help you stay away from the dangers that he had allowed into the castle. Little by little, he has been taking complete control of the castles magic. Over fifty years ago Dumbledore placed binds on all the ghosts and portraits that resided in this castle without Headmaster Dippet's knowledge. Dippet had never truly understood the magic behind Hogwarts castle. He was more concerned but his public image than anything else. He had given most of power of holding the wards to Dumbledore by the time Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets. Though, it was Tom Riddle who bound the new ghost of Myrtle Triste so she would not be able to tell who had had a hand in killing her. But it was Dumbledore who put bindings on the reset.

"To my shame, I was unable to tell Headmaster Dippet what they had done. Riddle had the blood of the Founders in his veins, and because of that, I was bound by Oath never to reveal his secrets to anyone but those who also had the Founders blood."

"Dumbledore and Riddle were allied?" Harry asked sharply with a dangerous fire in his eyes.

"No, Dumbledore was never an ally of Tom Riddle." She said tensely, clearly feeling the power that had aroused in the boy. "Until the age of thirteen, Dumbledore was able to hold some control over Riddle with the mind cage. But when Riddle found out what Dumbledore had done, he sought to destroy everything he believed Dumbledore falsely stood for. When Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore was the only one that suspected Riddle. But Riddle knew too many of Dumbledore's dark little secrets and threatened to reveal them to the ministry if Dumbledore openly fought against him while he attend school. Dumbledore put the binds on the ghosts and portraits to ensure his own secrets stayed hidden." She said in disgust.

"What secrets was Dumbledore trying to hide?" Harry asked in a dark tone.

"Because Dumbledore is the Headmaster now I am unable to share those secrets, unless I am free from my binds and only you have the power to free me, to free all of us."

"But how, how can I free you?" The Lady of Hogwarts proceed to explained to Harry that since he was a living descendant of one of the Founders he had the power to free the ghost and herself from their magical binds. With a little helpful instruction, it only took a few minutes before Harry was able to release the castle and all the ghosts from Dumbledore's control. Along with removing the block on the castles portraits so that Salazar could travel freely once more throughout the Hogwarts portraits.

After she was free from her binds, the Lady of Hogwarts seemed much more solid and powerful. No longer did she resemble a ghost. She now looked more like a magical creature that was surround by a thick aura of magic.

"Thank you, my Child. You don't know how good it feels to be free again." She said stand up and giving a big stretch. She even gave a happy dance joy.

Once her happy dance was over, she became much more precise about what Dumbledore had been up to in regards to his manipulations of the young Slytherin Heir and the wizarding world. As it turned out Dumbledore was every skill full with obliviation. He had used it quite a few times over the last five years in regards to him.

Harry was amazed when she told him that now that he had removed the binds, she would be able to cast the Agnitio Charm on him. She explained that the Agnitio charm was the counter-charm to the Obliviation Charm. It was very difficult for most wizards to cast, and was on pre with the Patronus, plus the caster had to know exactly what memory had been erased in order to restore the lost memory. Which explain why no one in St.Mungo's mental ward had been cured yet.

Harry's heart plummeted. "What? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Quite," She agreed. "The Agnitio charm is seriously limited in that respect. This is why the Obliviate spell is so incredibly dangerous. The only way to restore a memory that has been erased is by performing the charm while thinking of the proper memory, or through means of extreme physical or mental stress. But you are in luck, since I'm a thousand year old living consciousness I can restore the memories that you have lost while living in Hogwarts castle over the past five years without a problem. I will even teach you how to cast it yourself. But it is by no means an easy spell. Many wizards never master it.

I must warn you my Child; magic of the mind and memory is a tricky, dangerous thing. There is no fairness in it, and little logic. An improperly focused Obliviate, for you must know precisely what you are intending to erase, could possibly effect the brain's ability to process and retain new data. The same goes for try to restore them."

Harry nodded in understand.

An hour and a half later, Harry slumped back into the chair, exhausted but satisfied. The Hogwarts Lady set down beside him a twinkle of pride sparkled in her eyes. On his part, Harry could not suppress his jubilant smile. The spell was hard, no doubt about that. It required a level of focus and concentration akin to that needed for the Patronus spell. Indeed, Harry suspected that his experience with learning and performing a difficult spell like the Patronus aided him enormously in learning the spell. As they worked, speaking quietly to him as he cast again and again. He had gotten nothing at first, then a diffuse blue mist, which slowly solidified into a more proper spell. The stonewall of hall stood unmoved by the repeated expenditure of magic, but Harry was pretty sure that if he directed his wand at a person now, and summoned the correct sort of focus coupled with knowledge of what he wished to restore, he could really get something done.

"It's your turn now Harry are you ready?" she asked kindly.

"Yes, I'm ready." Harry swallowed nervously.

Reaching out with her hand she gently touching his forehead and whispered the incantation.

"Agnosco Commoneo!"

It struck him full in the face, and for a few moments Harry was too dazzled by the flash of light to realize what was happening. But then his vision cleared and he realized that something was very, very wrong.

Harry stood stock still for a brief moment, and then crumpled out of his chair and onto his knees, his wand rolling away from slack fingers. He dimly heard her calling his name in alarm, but it was little more than a distant echo. His senses were overloading, his mind nearly buckling under the onslaught, as a flood of memories was unleashed, cresting through his consciousness like a tidal wave, and carrying Harry along with it.

Some of the memories that had come back to him were the memories that Dumbledore had altered to a small degree, while others were completely new to him.

May 1992

_Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake._

_"Harry Potter..." it whispered._

_Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move. "See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"_

_"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly._

_Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling._

_"How touching..." it hissed. "I always value bravery... Yes, boy, your parents were brave... I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight... until Snape cursed him from behind. That man never did like fighting his enemies face-to-face... But your mother needn't have died... she was trying to protect you... Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."_

Harry had never remembered Voldemort saying anything about Snape being there that night, this could only mean to Dumbledore had altered his memory.

_"NEVER!"_

Harry watch himself sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, suddenly a warmth spread over his skin while a low familiar hissing echoed in his mind, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him. The pain in his head lessened– he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers– they were blistering before his eyes.

_"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet, landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck– Harry's scar was almost blinding with pain; but he could still hear the snake hissing louder within him, making Quirrell howl in agony._

_"Master, I cannot hold him– my hands– my hands!"_

_And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms– Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny. _

_"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort._

_Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, hissed in angry defense; as quick as a viper, he reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face–_

_"AAAAARGH!"_

_Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain– his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse._

_Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the face and head once more, hanging on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off – the pain in Harry's head was building– his vision changed somehow he could see the heat of the burns in different colors of intensity. Quirrell's terrible shrieks grow louder as Harry's hands grew hotter causing the man's skin to turn to ash under his fingers. Voldemort's yells of "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" echoed off the walls._

Harry gasped in surprise as large burst of magic flowed through his hands causing Quirrell's body to incinerate within seconds killing him instantly. A cloud of grey shadows rouse quickly and fled from the room.

"Harry! Harry!" a voice cried from behind.

Quirrell's body crumbled beneath his hands, leaving only the man's robes behind.

A thousand questions and thoughts ran through his mind. He had just killed one of his teachers, would he be expelled. Why couldn't Quirrell stand to touch his skin? What was the hissing he had heard within his head? Voldemort said Snape had helped kill his father.

He soon realized that someone was still calling his name.

"Harry, are you alright my dear boy." Dumbledore asked urgently as he turned the boy around to face him.

"I'm all right I think." he said dazed looking up at his Headmaster. "Sir! The Stone! I found the stone. It was Quirrel! He couldn't touch my skin! He was going to kill me! I keep hearing a hissing sound in my head when my hands touched him. And Voldemort said that Snape hated my Dad and helped kill him."

Harry's eyes were now full of angry and sorrow. The older man eyes turned somber when he looked into the boy's eyes.

"Calm yourself, dear boy–"

"You can't let him teach here. You can't let him get away with it!" Harry cried out in anguish.

"It is true that Professor Snape and your father did not get along while they were in school together. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. But what really happened that night is a mystery to many people Harry. But I know that Professor Snape as been forced to do things that he deeply regrets having to do. Whatever he might have been in the past he is on the side of the light now."

"How can you say that!"? Harry screamed in outrage. "How can you defend him, he helped kill my parents. I don't care what you say, that bastard is evil. He hates me just like he hated my Dad. Will you forgive him if he kills me too." Harry hissed angrily, eyes once again allowed him to see only the heat around him. The Headmaster gasped in shock at the snake like slits of the boys green eyes.

"Oh dear," Breathed out Dumbledore. "Tom what have you done." He whispered to himself.

"What--" Harry began, seeing the fear flash across Dumbledore's aged face.

"Everything will be alright," Dumbledore said gently. "Things have just taken a surprising turn, that's all." He withdrew his wand, and Harry felt a sudden unknown fear grip him.

"It will be alright," Dumbledore said with an eerie calmness, lifting his wand. "I'll make things right again. I will not lose another to the darkness. "Claudmo Uni!"

It felt like a piece of him was being taken and sealed away. He tried to run away but his strength was being drained somehow. "Stop! What are you doing to me?" Harry asked fearfully.

"It is for the greater good Harry, Obliviate!"

_Something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch! He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy._

_He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange._

_He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him._

_"Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore._

June 1993

_Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the bloodstained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt._

_Godric Gryffindor_

_"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply._

_For a minute, neither of them spoke. Harry traced the two words again and again, the cold knot of dread that had been clutching for months finally releasing._

"This is a curious thing," Dumbledore said, standing up and standing in front of the young Gryffindor, taking the sword from him and examining it again. "It has been hidden away for a very long time."

"In the hat," Harry said, glancing over at the unassuming black lump of cloth on the desk. "Who do you suppose put it there?"

"Why, Godric Gryffindor himself, I would imagine," Dumbledore said. "His powerful sword has been part of the many legends surrounding him and the rest of the founders for years. It is not known whether he himself forged it, or whether he got it from someone else." He smiled gently at Harry. "If you wish to find strange similarities, Harry, perhaps you would be better suited comparing yourself to the founder of your house. He, too, led an unusual, sometimes dangerous life."

"Really?" said Harry, curious.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I must find an opportunity for you to examine the Founder's history more closely, someday. It is important, I think." He frowned distantly for a moment longer, as if studying something only he could see.

"What about the diary, though?" Harry asked. "That was more than just a book of Tom Riddle's memory, he was able to pick up my wand. Almost like Pevees, a poltergeist, he could move real objects." Harry's eye widen in understanding, muggle movies showed this type of thing all the time. "Professor do you think the diary contained a piece of Riddle's soul."

Dumbledore gaze sharply at Harry, the normal twinkle in his eyes had completely vanished. "That is a interesting theory Harry. Yes, it is possible for wizards of extreme power to leave behind pieces of ones soul in objects. But that type of magic is every dark and every dangerous." He stared at Harry with cold piercing blue eyes. "My I asked how you came upon such understandings of that type of magic, I hope not on any late night wanderings into the restricted section." He said calmly, but Harry could feel the coldness hidden behind those words and chose his own words carefully.

"No sir, I was just reminded by a muggle movie I once saw, there was a necklace or something that had a piece of an evil warlocks soul imprison within it. If someone wore the necklace, he could drain energy from his or her soul, the more energy the necklace drained the more control the warlock had over him or her. He could control them and after he collected enough energy he was able to break free from the necklace and take human form. This was almost exactly the same thing." Harry finished.

"Ah, I see" Dumbledore seemed to understand this, and winked conspiratorially. "And was the evil warlock able to be stopped, like you were able to stop Riddles return."

"Yes, there was this guy who found out he was the reincarnation of the Sorcerer of that imprisoned the evil warlock centuries ago, and by the end of the movie had the power to destroy the necklace for good." Harry explained, "What the Sorcerer didn't know was that the warlock left another piece of himself in another object so he might be able to come back."

Harry noticed that the Headmaster was staring distractingly into the flames of the fireplace. A solemn expression on his lined face.

"Professor, do you think that's what Riddle did, I mean do you think there could be another diary or something out there." Harry asked cautiously, staring at the sword in his hands, for some reason he knew he was treading on dangerous ground.

A touch on the shoulder roused Harry from his intense concentration. "I think," Dumbledore said, "that will be enough talk on such a subject. "

Harry blinked, looking around the room to reorient him to warmth and safety. He looked back down at his hands, and was greatly surprised to find them bleeding some from the tight grip he was holding the sword with, he hadn't even been aware of the sword cutting him.

"Sorry," Harry said, flushing a little.

"Do not worry," Dumbledore said, patting his shoulder again. "Nothing of great importance can be done now anyway."

"Alright," Harry said, a bit dubiously. He had the idea that it was just the opposite.

Dumbledore seemed to read that thought, for his gaze was piercing as he examined Harry. He seemed to be debating something for a long moment, his mouth set in an unhappy line.

"Oh dear," he murmured. He looked from Harry's confused face to Fawkes, still perched contentedly on the mantle, to the sword in Harry's hands. "Well, there's nothing for it," he said finally, decisively. He turned back to Harry and smiled a little sadly. "I must apologize, Harry," he said, "for the great trespass I am about to commit upon you."

"I'm sorry?" said Harry.

"Everything is alright," Dumbledore said gently. "I am only a foolish old man who wants to keep the disillusion of truth at bay a little while longer in his old age." He withdrew his wand, and Harry got a sudden, chill tingle of fear. "Some things can't happen in their own time," Dumbledore said, though Harry got the impression he was speaking more to himself than anything. "I mustn't rush too much, that would be the worst thing I could do to you."

"What--" Harry began.

"It will be alright," Dumbledore said, lifting his wand. "You will not remember this anyway, hopefully. Obliviate!"

Harry blinked. He felt a little fuzzy, suddenly. It must be the exhaustion, he thought. Every muscle and bone in his body felt like lead weights, the exertions of the day finally catching up with him.

_Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink._

_What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban -- we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"_

_April 1995_

This time he had little chance to take stock of his surroundings, for he seemed to be moving. Or rather, he realized, the world had not entirely stopped moving around him. He was floating, almost gliding, down an oddly familiar stone corridor. The effect was strange, as if the corridor were flowing by him, for Harry himself was not physically walking.

Glancing to his right, Harry felt somewhat relieved to find Dumbledore there, though it took him a moment to adjust to the sight of a noticeably younger Dumbledore, much less silvered, and with a greatly shortened beard. He was striding along with great purpose through what Harry suddenly recognized as the halls of Hogwarts. But the Headmaster's (was he the Headmaster in this memory? Harry didn't think so), shoulders were slumped, his head bent. The brief glimpse Harry got of his face as they turned a corner revealed an agonized expression, grief-stricken and regretful. He was moving almost resignedly, as if he had a horrible duty to carry out which he was determined to do as well as he could.

Harry followed along as Dumbledore maneuvered through hallways and up staircases Harry had never seen before. Finally, they arrived at an out of the way corridor with a single door at the end. Dumbledore strode up to it, paused for the briefest of moments, and then knocked.

The door was flung open as if someone had been waiting right on the other side. A woman stood framed in the opening, backlit by a healthily roaring fire and the steady glow of magical torches.

"Alice," Dumbledore said, reaching for her.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She snapped viciously. "How could you leave Harry with that muggle garbage. You know as will as I do what Lily and James will stated in regards to who their son would be raised by."

"It is the best protection that I can gave him. The blood protection is the strongest protection he could have and will shield him from the Death Eaters that are still hunting for him. You must realize that Alice." Dumbledore pleaded.

"What I realize is that my godson is living in a home with people that quite obvious don't wont him or love him. Blood protection or not. That is not the environment that a child should be raised in Dumbledore." She snapped at him venomously

"It's the best place for him," Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" repeated Alice Longbottom in disbelief, sitting down in one of the chairs by the fireplace. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you explain all this in a letter? Those people will never understand him! Unlike you, I've met that piece of filth Lily had for a sister, she will do everything in her power to make his life a living hell. I would be less appalled if Harry was given to the Malfoy's then Petunia Dursley.

"It is a small sacrifice that must be made for the greater good Alice."

"It's amazing how small the sacrifices seem when you're not the one personal paying for them." Alice sneered hatefully. "Is that the same small sacrifice you envisioned when you allowed Lucius Malfoy to bribe Crouch into letting Sirius take the fall, so whoever your little Death eater spy was wouldn't be sent to Azkaban instead."

"Alice Longbottom, that is enough!" Dumbledore shouted heatedly. She did not so much as flinch at the powerful wizard before her.

"I know what you and those Ministry morons are trying to do Dumbledore and I will not stand by and allow you to use my godson as a pawn in your little chess game. I will have full custody my godson, and you cannot deny me that right. I don't care what's for the greater good. My only concern is for what's best for Harry and living with the Dursley's is not good for him. The will is a binding legal document and Lily's wishes while be carried out regardless of what you want Albus." Alice stood, gathered her cloak. "Good-Day to you Headmaster." With that, she flooed back home.

The swirl of her robes seemed to transmute into the room itself, causing everything to spin and swirl around Harry, fading just as all the other scenes had. Harry now found himself watching the trail of Barty Crouch Jr.

_"You are no son of mine!" bellowed Mr. Crouch, his eyes bulging suddenly. "I have no son!"_

_The wispy witch beside him gave a great gasp and slumped in her seat. She had fainted. Crouch appeared not to have noticed._

_"Take them away!" Crouch roared at the dementors, spit flying from his mouth. "Take them away, and may they rot there!"_

_"Father! Father, I wasn't involved! No! No! Father, please!"_

Harry shivered, enormously glad as the scene melted away around him. Crouch's' cries, both the vengeful and the desperate, still rang in his ears, and it took him a moment to notice that the world had once again reformed itself around him.

"Well," he said, "this has certainly been a surprising afternoon."

Harry frowned, confused. He had heard the man speak; yet his lips had not moved. Harry glanced around and started violently. There was an Albus Dumbledore, still seated on the lowest bench, gazing thoughtfully at his hands, and an Albus Dumbledore behind Harry, looking directly at him.

"Professor," Harry gasped, "I know I shouldn't've - I didn't mean - the cabinet door was sort of open and -"

"That's quite alright," Dumbledore said. He regarded Harry for a moment, and then continued; "You have seen some very interesting things today. Some, which I think you needed to see to better, understand what is happening, what will happen in the future. Other things, other things are very private, even secret." Dumbledore said gently. "You have never been in a Pensieve before--you had no control over where it took you." He frowned abstractedly. "Interesting selection, though," he added, almost to himself.

"Why did you leave me with the Dursleys', if you know how they would treat me." Harry's tone turned ice cold now that his shock was over.

"My answer, is that my priority was to keep you alive. I know you had a difficult time of it--" Dumbledore said slightly calmer.

"A difficult time?" Harry interrupted. "I have a difficult time with Snape. I had fourteen years of abuse from the Dursleys'. Fourteen years." He couldn't stop the tears from coming to his eyes. "And all this time you knew. A difficult time my ass, you don't have any idea what it was like do you?"

"Harry I couldn't interfere. That was part of the agreement. You needed the protection..." Dumbledore said sadly, his face very gray.

"Was leaving my godfather to rot in Azkaban for twelve years part of the agreement my godmother spoke of as well." Harry interrupted in a snarl.

"That is of a different matter," Dumbledore said, frowning irritability. "However, I'm afraid I must take a few precautionary measures. It makes me greatly uncomfortable to do so, but the risks of leaving things be are too great." He sighed and withdrew his wand. He touched the wand to his temple and murmured a charm as he drew it away. A long, silvery strand came with it, and Dumbledore lifted it into the air, murmuring another charm. The scene dissolved as the rest had, and Harry expected to find himself back in the Headmaster's office. To his surprise, however, and no small confusion, he once again found himself seated up on the highest bench, though this time there was a Dumbledore on either side of him. The scene was very familiar, as well--six Dementors were in the process of dragging four captives out of the room. The thin, wasted frame of Crouch's wife lay slumped over the bench, and the screams of her son echoed about the room.

"Why have you brought me back here?" Harry asked the "real" Dumbledore.

"Because," the Headmaster said, "it is necessary that I do something once again which I find difficult, even abhorrent. Something I had hoped not to have to do ever again now that you are growing up."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, perplexed and more than a little fearful.

"Obliviate!"

_Harry winced, almost wishing to cover his ears and block out Crouch's desperate pleas._

_"I think, Harry, it is time to return to my office," said a quiet voice in Harry's ear._

More memories came back to him of events during his fourth year. Crouch Jr. had been giving him secret lessons after hours in his office. Teaching him a wide variety of low-level dark art spells. This set of memories revealed that he was a natural at performing all the spells Crouch Jr. had taught him. Despite the suppression bands the Headmaster had secretly sown into his school robes. Crouch had given him many books that he had secretly studied throughout the school year. When he was sleeping in the hospital wing after returning from the graveyard, Dumbledore had spent the night removing all his memories of Crouch's secret lessons and the knowledge of the dark arts he had learned. The Headmaster had also stolen all the dark arts books Harry had been given, hiding them in his office.

The last sat of returned memories revealed that Dumbledore had known full well that Snape wasn't teaching Harry occlumency, but instead using the lessons to help his master gain easier entry into his mind. During their first occlumency lessons Snape had forced him to drink a Psyche Linking potion, causing the connection between him and Voldemort to strengthen and weaken his minds natural defenses over time until he would be nothing more than a puppet completely under Voldemort's control. The potion master had then obliviated Harry's memory of what he had done.

It took nearly an hour for Harry to sort through all his newly returned memories. It warmed his heart greatly that his godmother had stood up to the Headmaster about him being left with the Dursleys'. He couldn't help but wonder now if in some way Dumbledore and Snape had help stage the attack on the Longbottoms. He would need to get his hands on those books Barty Crouch Jr. had given him somehow. It also scared him at how easy it was for people to violent his mind without so much as a second thought.

Harry shuddered uncontrollably for over two hour after regaining his stolen memories. It wasn't that he was deeply traumatized from remembering, it was the fact that he had lived for years not knowing that something had been done to him and taken from him. Harry felt like he had been robbed or rapped. There was really no other way to explain it. He could handle physical torture but the thought of someone going into your mind and altering your memories…

He knew he was probably overreacting but he couldn't help it. Voldemort had been messing with his head since the end of his four-year trying to convince him to seek out what was down in the Department of Mysteries. And the fake vision of Sirius being tortured was the bait that finally lured him right into Voldemort's and his Death eaters' hands. That wasn't going to happen again. Harry was determined not to let Voldemort win. He didn't care if he had to hunt every last Death eater down himself. He was not going to let Dumbledore and the Ministry let them get off scott free again.

In comparison to everything that he had discovered about the Headmaster actions towards him, it came as no great surprise when Harry learned that the old man had been screening his mail all these years. The Lady of Hogwarts told him of the wards that redirected any mail from someone the Headmaster had not pre-approved to a small room that was located in the south wing of the castle. The ward had been in place for nearly fifteen years, which was no surprise to Harry, otherwise, he was sure he would have been receiving owls his whole life while living at the Dursleys'.

But since Harry had removed her binds she could by-pass the wards that surrounded the room his missing mail was kept in and summon it all to the Founder's Hall so he could read it without Dumbledore's knowledge. At first, Harry decided to wait on opening his lost mail, not knowing how long he would be able a to stay with out being caught out after curfew. That is, until the Hogwarts Lady explained that the room was built within the magic dimension it's self. While inside a magical dimension. One could not physically age normally. If a person were to spend one year living inside the Hall, they would only physically age twelve days. When in the Founder's Hall time did not pass normally either, it could be both faster and slower than the time of the outside world. The four founders were able to create a Counter-Turn for the room, which would allow them to control how fast or slow time would pass inside the Hall and the Room of Requirements, while outside the room, time would remained normal.

To Harry the counter-turn looked more like a cross between a large old fashion skeleton pocket watch and a sundial, then the time-turn that Hermione had used during their third year. With a little help from Hogwarts, Harry sat the Counter-Turn only allow ten minutes to pass outside the room, while to him two and a half weeks would pass. Once the time was sat, Harry spent the next couple of hours going through all the large piles of letters and gifts people had sent to him over the past fifteen years.

The Lady of Hogwarts divided the piles by year received, then by matters of importance. It was more than a little disturbing to read some of the letters that the people of the wizarding world had sent to him over the years. Some people seemed to think he was the reintegration of Merlin, who was sent to save them from Voldemort's evil. They donated money and magical trinkets to him, grateful people that remembered his birthday since the age of two, had sent him small or large tokens of thanks each year. Some people even celebrated the anniversary of the loss of his parents, marking October 31, as some kind of Holy day of remembrance. While little girls wrote him love letters that pictured him as their Knight in shinning armor of their child hood fantasies. What really disturbed him was that a lot of the letters were written by some of his classmates or those in a higher or lower year than him, he even found some that had the name Ginny Weasley written on them in crayon. But Harry's heart swelled when he found tons of gifts and letters from many of his parent's old friends and distant relatives. He even found some letters from Remus, asking his muggle relative for permission to visit him when he was little.

Some of the newer letters were from different wizarding shops and companies asking him to endorse their latest products, while others sent him free samples. Some offering future intern and apprenticeships positions. Other letters were on the same thread as the letters he had gotten after he did the enter view with _The Quibbler_. People that believed his story and people that thought he was an attention seek loony. He was surprised to see three letters addressed to him from Gringotts Wizarding Bank asking for a meeting with him to discuss some irregularities they had found in dealing with his account recently. Harry wondered what the goblins could have possibly found odd about his account, but promise to contact them as soon as possible anyway.

While Harry ate a little food that Dobby prepared for him. The Hogwarts Lady, (who liked to be called Helen when in physical form), warned him that Hermione had been informing on him to McGonagall all year until she was injured. Which made Harry a little upset but after reviewing the past year inside a pensieve, understood that with the way he had been acting this past year he couldn't rightly blame Hermione for try to look out for him by going to McGonagall. At least she had not gone directly to Dumbledore. But Harry was beyond furious when he learned that Dumbledore had placed an enchantment all the Hogwarts: A History books given out to the muggle-borns in order for them to remain loyal to the Headmaster and the teachers that were in the order while at school and after they graduation.

Helen also explained that since the beginning of his fifth year the House-elves were also ordered to search through his belongings once a month for 'improper influences', if any items were found they were to alert the Headmaster at once. But recently, Dumbledore had ordered all the paintings, status, suits of armor, as well as the Houses-elves to keep an extra close watch on him after Harry had left the Headmaster's office earlier that morning. Due to all the instruments that usually tracked and monitored his movements during the year were all destroyed when Harry had wreck the Headmaster's office.

Harry's blood froze at this knowledge. Emerald eyes turned dangerously cold.

"I see," Harry, hissed softly, just barely in control of his anger. In truth Harry had been wondering if any of his friends was informing on him to Dumbledore throughout the year. Ever since first year the bushy headed know-it-all had made it clear that she was more than willing to rat him out to their teachers if she didn't approve of his actions. Hermione was one of his best friends, and truth be told she had probably been a better friend to him over the years than Ron had, but her devotion to authority bordered on the frightening more and more. Harry knew that until he was able to destroy her enchanted Hogwarts: A History, he would have to be extremely cautious about what he said or did in front of the girl.

But what really burned him was that someone was searching through his private belongings. It was underhanded. It was unfair. What had he ever done to warrant such treatment Harry asked himself for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening? What was the cause of such irrational suspicion? Such unwavering mistrust against him? Events of the past five years were largely outside his control, yet he was still scrutinized and suspected of every wrongdoing. He was being treated like a common criminal. Harry was receiving the same treatment he had always gotten when living full-time at the Dursleys'. Guilty until proven innocent, and most of the time him being proven innocent of something only made his muggle relatives hate him even more. Was it the same for Headmaster? Was Dumbledore resentful of his innocents?

So far Dumbledore had only been alerted once. Dumbledore had the house-elves bring him the package Sirius had given to Harry right before returning to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays. Until now Harry had forgotten all but the package his godfather had given him. Harry remembered Sirius sneaking it to him just inside the front door of twelve Grimmauld Place hopes to Mrs.Weasley wouldn't notice, he had placed it in the bottom of his trunk and had not thought about it since. The fog that had controlled his mind had suppressed the memory until now. Harry asked Helen was the package still within the castle and if so could she summon it like she did with his mail. She agreed and within seconds Harry held the forgotten package within his hands.

_' Use it if you need me, all right? ' _ The voice of his godfather echoed in his head. Harry unwrapped the package carefully wonder why Dumbledore had seen fit to take it from him. Out fell a small. Square mirror. It looked old; it was certainly dirty. Harry held it up to his face and saw his own reflection looking back at him.

He turned the mirror over. There on the reverse side was a scribbled note from Sirius,

_This is a two-way mirror. I've got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions._

And Harry's heart began to race. He remembered seeing his dead parents in the Mirror of Erised four years ago. He was going to be able to talk to Sirius again, right now, he knew it–

Harry raised it in front of his face with trembling hands and said, loudly and clearly,

"Sirius."

His breath misted the surface of the glass. He held the mirror even closer, excitement flooding through him, but the eyes blinking back at him through the fog were definitely his own.

He wiped the mirror clear again and said, so that every syllable rang clearly through the room, "Sirius Black!"

Nothing happened. The frustrated face looking back out of the mirror was still, definitely his own...

Sirius might not of had his mirror on him when he went through the archway, said a small voice in Harry's head. That's why it's not working...

Harry remained quite still for a moment, and then hurled the mirror into the wall on the other side of the room where it shattered. He had been convinced, for a whole, shining minute that he was going to see Sirius, talk to him again. Disappointment was burning in his throat. It was like losing his godfather all over again in losing the hope that he might be able to see or speak to him once more. But what really tore him apart was the fact that the whole fiasco at the Ministry could have been avoided if Dumbledore hadn't stolen Sirius mirror from him in the first place. He could've used it instead of having to break into Umbridge's office to use that hag's floo. He could have spoken to Sirius and seen that the vision was false, there for he would've had no reason to go to the ministry that day. A whole new level of loathing was born in Harry's heart towards Dumbledore and his meddling.

After calming down some, Helen clued Harry in on another one of Dumbledore's many secrets. Apparently, all children entering the magical school system have a basic monitoring spell placed on them, as ordered by the Ministry of Magic, who also places monitoring charms on all wands bought from Ollivander's Wand Shop. But ever since Dumbledore had become Headmaster of Hogwarts, all the students are given a potion to ingest as well. It served the same monitoring purpose, but was far harder to over come.

It was quiet brilliant actually; Harry had to admit on some level. At the beginning of the year feast, all the pumpkin juice and other beverages are laced with the potion. It lasts about a year, and is reinforced at the start of each term. The potion not only let Dumbledore track students magic usage during vacations but also able him to monitor them throughout the school year as well. Which was why the old man always seemed to know who's been up to what.

With the help of the Helen and the library in the Founders Hall, Harry was able to cancel both the Ministry's monitoring spell and Dumbledore potion. He had no luck in finding out how to cancel the spell to the monitoring charm on his wand, but vowed to either find the counter charm or buy a new wand from another wand maker.

What really surprised him was that the four Founders were able to step outside their portraits into the physical plain while inside of Founders Hall. When they built the hall they made a magic mirror that would allow them to walk through it into the physical world. Salazar was the first one to step out of the mirror to greet Harry. He was about 6'2" in height and gave off the commanding presences. Which made Harry feel like a little kid since he was fifteen and only 5'4". Godric was also tall around 6'4" his build was wider than Salazar's. He had a strong square face with sparkling golden amber eyes; his hair was a mix of brown and golden blonde that flowed over his shoulders of the red and gold battle robes he was wearing, making him look like a mighty lion. Rowena stood only about 5'8" in height; she had pale cream skin with a slender figure that reminded him of Professor Sinistra, though her face was a lot less stern looking then his Astronomy teacher. Rich blue colored robes draw Harry's eyes to notice her oval shape face and matching sapphire blue eyes that seemed to hold a certain mystery and intelligence to them, while long thick black hair was pined up in a rather elaborate bun. Helga was out visiting another one of her paintings that were stationed around the world so Harry was not able to meet her with the others. But Salazar promise to introduce him when she got back.

With the room being able to prove for all of Harry's needs he was able to spend about two and a half weeks in the Founders Hall, preparing him for what he would need to do once he left the room. And with the help of the four Founders and the Lady of Hogwarts, Harry now at least had a game plan on which to go by.

For the most part Harry focused on learning how to protect his mind from intrusion. The knowledge of both occlumency and legilimency that Riddle had helped a great deal with his own basic understanding of the two difficult art forms, but it was from his tutoring with Rowena Ravenclaw's portrait that truly helped Harry. Along with practical help from the Hogwarts Lady since she was a living consciousness, it was easy for her to perform legilimency. Rowena teaching style was very thorough in her techniques, managing to even clear up some of the things that had confused even Voldemort since he was never properly taught and had learned his skill the hard way through trial and error. Now Harry completely understood the theories and techniques behind both skills rather well.

Occlumency had absolutely nothing to do with physically defending one's mind from attack. The art of occlumency was based on the clarity of thoughts and emotional desires. It was more about the organization and understanding of a person's own mind and THEN learning how to control your own thoughts and emotional direction, so you gave nothing way to an outside observer. It was impossible to really teach someone how to physical defend their mind because every person's natural mental defenses were different and unique to the individual. The will power of the individual was what determined the minds defensive strength. Harry had no doubt that his will was strong; he had been able to throw off the Imperius Curse from both the fake Mad-Eye Moody and Voldemort. Along with winning the dual of Priori Incantatem that tested the will power and magical strength between two wizards. But he knew that the organization of his mind was rather poor, and those fake occlumency lessons Snape gave him had only served to weaken his natural mental defenses.

Much to Harry's surprise, learning occlumency was far easier when learning legilimency along side it as well. Knowing exactly what happened to his mind in a legilimency attack made it far easier for Harry to defend his mind against one. Occlumency was little more than a mental discipline to recognize foreign forces within the mind. The more organized and logical the mind is, the more effective Occlumency is. Eventually occlumency can be so developed that no mind affecting magic will work on the person. When Snape had told Harry to clear his mind, what he meant was to control one's emotions so that the person does not concentrate on relieving memories but instead focus's on the task at hand, namely repelling the invading mind. Legilimency only worked when the people could not detach themselves from the memory being ripped from their mind. That's why Snape kept baiting Harry; he wanted him to get angry so he could attack his mind.

Training his mind provided to be the most time consuming and emotional difficult subject he had every learned. Harry's progress with both went slowly but smoothly. Within a week Harry had learned enough that he could sleep at night without having any Voldemort induced nightmares. Not to say that he didn't have nightmares, they were just products of Harry's mind. The books that the room provided for him helped a great deal, they gave many different methods for mastering Occlumency. A different scholar, including a man named Kalus H. Potter, developed each method. Harry tried most of them, and eventually settled for a combination of the ones that came easiest for him. Which allowed him to sharpen his minds natural defenses both offensively and defensively.

Defensively, to begin, Rowena had Harry picture a physical representation of his mind. After that he placed the image in a pensieve, which would allow him to see the physical placement and organization of his memories while he sort through them. Harry chose the image of a spare with three separate barriers.

The core barrier housed all his important thoughts, emotions, and deepest secrets. The parts of him that Harry didn't want others to know. Like the knowledge of the prophecy and all the information he got from Voldemort. The second inner barrier housed all of his practical knowledge. Things that mattered but weren't top secret. Like his current dueling skills and the things he learned over the past five years, or what feelings he had for different family members and friends. The outer barrier housed only superficial memories; so intruding legilimens would think that they had passed Harry's mental defenses and wouldn't think to search deeper until it was to late and were already expelled them from his mind.

The only thoughts that would exist between the two barriers were unimportant, nonsense memories. The type of things that wouldn't matter if someone found out about. Things like what he ate for breakfast, what grade he had gotten on a quiz, Quidditch statistics, etc. Anything that was impersonal; something that he didn't mind someone like Voldemort, Snape, or Dumbledore to know about, Harry left in the outer later of his outer mind sphere. To an outside observer it would seem like the random thoughts of a normal teenager.

After he had his barriers setup that's when the time consuming part of occlumency came in. Especially at first, Harry literally had to sift through and categorize every one of his memories. Then he had to file them away into the different subsection of his core, and inner or outer spheres.

Offensively, to begin, Harry had to select what type wall an intruding legilimency would encounter when he tried to drive them out, for the moment Harry decided to picture a thick concert wall. Once he had that Harry selected certain memories that would help his minds natural defenses block and help drive away a legilimens who tired to break into his second barrier. The first memory was of bright green light and the pain cause from it when it hit him as a child, or the memory of the pain from the Voldemort casting the Cruciatus Curse on him, and the memory of the pain that consumed him when Voldemort over took him at Ministry. He doubted anyone would want to be forced to relive any of those three memories.

With all that in order, Harry was now able to store and organizes the memories in his mind like files in a computers hard drive. He had memories by section within sections and even more detailed sections within those sections. Many subsets of different sections over lapped each other. Although it took quite a bit of time and effort to correctly organize or in the case where Riddle's memories were involved, reorganize two separate life experiences. Harry's mind was now very well organized and controlled.

Another aspect to Harry's occlumency training was something Lady Ravenclaw called 'Introspective Exercises' in which Harry was instructed to use the pensieve to view all of his memories from his life, than with Rowena and Salazar's help; try and understand how that particular event effected him or helped to shape the views he had towards himself and others. He was then instructed to keep a journal of his thoughts and emotions to help work out his personal issues. Harry didn't like this part of his training, he really didn't want to know just how screwed-up he really was, but understood that he needed to fully understand his own conscious and subconscious thoughts and reasoning for his actions so they couldn't be used against him.

Legilimency, Harry learned, was not the opposite of Occlumency. Legilimency was purely offensive and akin to a violent attack if not done very carefully. Subtlety was a top requirement of a good legilimens, as one usually does not want the victim to realize what is happening to them. If a person was not versed in occlumency it was possible with even a low level Legilimens', like Snape who needed to do a keyword type search in order to gain any information from his target, to slip into their mind unnoticed. All he would need was to project the incantation _Legilimens_ with his eyes and then once inside his subjects mind, project the subject word or question, allowing him to receive information concerning that keyword or phrase while everything else was overlooked and pushed into the background. Powerful Legilimens users, which Harry now knew he was - just like Voldemort and Dumbledore - were able to perform a sort of 'download' of the information and could go over it without maintaining eye contact. Legilimency was almost always done eye-to-eye with the target, but if the Legilimens had enough control and will-power they could sometimes perform Distance Legilimency, which allowed the legilimens to enter someone's mind even if they were across the country. With this knowledge Harry now understood that with the help of the Psyche Linking potion Voldemort was able to perform his distance legilimency attacks against his mind.

Along with his studies of Occlumency and Legilimency, Harry also viewed most of Riddle's memories in the pensieve. It was with morbid fascination that he slowly watch the evaluation of a curl and hate filled orphan change into the cunning and hateful Tom Riddle and finally morphed into the pure evil monster known now as Lord Voldemort. Harry could see why people followed the handsome strategist who promised glory. Tom Riddle cultivated a charisma that dazzled his audience into submission. With his Muggle upbringing Harry knew little about the unofficial politics involved in the last war. But now had a front row view of why most of the wizarding world cannot bear to even speak the Dark Lords name.

Power and Fear.

There had been many Dark Lords that had risen and fallen throughout the world. Even at the height of Grindewald's reign, people did not fear to speak his name. But Voldemort was not a normal Dark Lord, he had undergone so many dark rituals, so many transformations that he was no longer even recognizable as the man he once was. Could anyone even consider him human anymore Harry wondered.

It was clear that one of the main reasons why Voldemort was feared so much was because he could command so much raw magical power; he was able to easily destroy the wards protecting most houses. He did not need to waste time using curse breakers to slowly try and wear the wards down in order to enter. He could destroy all the magical wards protecting the house before the occupants even knew he was attacking, his Death Eaters would then enter the house and torture, rape or murder everyone inside.

The second reason was that even though Voldemort had an incredible amount of power and an extreme amount of knowledge of the Dark Arts, he had never believed it was enough. He spent a great deal of time gaining more knowledge and undergoing more rituals, during his last reign. Rare books were stolen from most collections through out the wizarding world. He gained many ancient works and artifacts that were long thought lost, scholars would even willingly give him their most precious works when he, or a Death Eater, came to them. To say no to Voldemort or if you were a Death Eater and failed him in some way, not only sentenced yourself to death, but sentenced your family, friends and loved ones to torture and a very slow and painful public death.

Voldemort made sure that it was well known that if someone were to lie to him or his Death Eaters the repercussions would be even worse than fighting against him. Those conditions allowed him to work freely throughout the wizarding world. Harry had learned during his first year that Voldemort was a master Legilimens; even if you were to lie to him, he would know it and would break into your mind to find the truth.

The third reason why the fear was so extreme was that Voldemort did not settle for power in one area, he did not just spread terror in England, but through out all of Europe and many other countries around the world. There was no safe haven people could flee to; he was able to tract you down and attack anywhere, and at any time. If you were not one of his Death Eaters, you were an enemy. Even other dark wizards, murderers, assassins and other such unsavory characters feared him. He killed several up and coming Dark Lords, he destroyed any dark wizard that refused to serve him or who could become a threat to him and his power.

It was truly sickening at just how many people were under his influence. It was not just the Death Eaters or people under the imperious curse that the people were afraid of, it was the informants, and as far as anyone knew they could have been anyone. If a person gave Voldemort worthwhile information, the Death Eaters would spare them, and their loved ones for a time. However, they had to continue to feed them information to gain that protection.

The true destructive power of Voldemort's army during the last war did not lay in the Death Eaters alone, but the Inferi, Dementor's, Quintapeds, Lethifolds, Vampires, Werewolves and Giants that he was able to employ. These creatures were drawn to him by the darkness and power of his magical aura. He was the alpha male to many nocturnal creatures and allowed them to have no boundaries to their dark nature under his command.

Harry was more than a little relieved when he discovered that recruitment for Voldemort's forces was going slowly because of the need to lay low this past year and those that once sided with him last time were more wary because he was unable to up hold the promises he had made to them during his first reign. The fact that he failed before a mere baby did not help to hold faith in his power.

It had taken Harry almost three whole days, non-stop to untangle Voldemort's most resist mass of memories from this past year. The memories were so closely tied together that they sometimes seemed to over lap each other three or four times. When Harry finally did get them straighten out a feeling of euphoria washed over him.

It would appear, that Voldemort had the attack at the ministry more planned out than anyone could have every thought possible. The veil that stood in the Death Room had been switched. Before Voldemort sent Harry the vision of Sirius being captured, which he knew would compelled Harry to leave the safety of the school, he had Lucius Malfoy and Augustus Rookwood (who were under invisibility cloaks) go down into the Department of Mysteries and put a fake veil right in front of the real one. This fake veil was in truth, a direct portal to one of their many prison cells. It also served as a direct and unrestricted portal into the most closely guarded secrets of the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort had told all his followers to knock as many people as they could into the veil, as it was now the most efficient way to get prisoners. This way no one would think to try and find the prisoners because they would automatically think them dead and non-retrievable. The only person they managed to get through was his godfather.

Which meant Sirius Black was alive!

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_**To be continued...**_

_**Please review!**_


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